The World Health Organization's (WHO) executive director of communicable diseases has expressed confidence about containing Taiwan's SARS outbreak and said the government's coordination "has improved dramatically."
David Heymann has just spent one and a half days in a video conference discussing epidemiological issues related to SARS with participants from more than 12 countries. At the end of the conference yesterday, Heyman expressed optimism about Taiwan's progress.
Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), the newly appointed director-general of the Department of Health (DOH) and a leading epidemiologist, also took part in the video conference to share Taiwan's SARS information with other countries.
Heymann said that as far as he knew, Chen was the first Taiwanese official for decades to participate in a formal WHO conference of this kind.
While the discussion on SARS will be a significant part at the World Health Assembly, Heymann said it is still unknown whether Taiwan will be invited to the technical briefing on the disease to be held during the assembly.
"We will see what will happen in the WHA.." Heymann said.
"We will be running a technical response to the epidemic," said Heymann, adding that the WHA will determine whether to include Taiwan's representation in the technical briefing.
"We include Taiwan as a technical partner in the outbreak, because everywhere the outbreak is happening is important. We want to stop it," Heymann said.
Meanwhile, Heymann said the WHO will send more experts to Taiwan "if we are required to do so by the government." But so far the government has not made such a request, according to Heymann.
As for current developments in Taiwan, Heymann said that he has seen excellent cooperation and that he believed the outbreak would be contained.
Chen, who had been chairman of the DOH's SARS Advisory Committee, will be arriving at Geneva on Tuesday, one day after the WHA kicks off.
Sources said that Chen will meet up with Secretary of the US Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, among high-ranking health officials from several countries that sympathize with Taiwan's cause to join the WHO.
Owing to the reshuffle of high-ranking health officials in Taipei, the first group of high-ranking officials, led by Deputy Director-General Lee Lung-teng (
Taiwan's major lobbying group in the WHA -- the Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan -- arrived in Geneva late yesterday.
ENDEAVOR MANTA: The ship is programmed to automatically return to its designated home port and would self-destruct if seized by another party The Endeavor Manta, Taiwan’s first military-specification uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) tailor-made to operate in the Taiwan Strait in a bid to bolster the nation’s asymmetric combat capabilities made its first appearance at Kaohsiung’s Singda Harbor yesterday. Taking inspiration from Ukraine’s navy, which is using USVs to force Russia’s Black Sea fleet to take shelter within its own ports, CSBC Taiwan (台灣國際造船) established a research and development unit on USVs last year, CSBC chairman Huang Cheng-hung (黃正弘) said. With the exception of the satellite guidance system and the outboard motors — which were purchased from foreign companies that were not affiliated with Chinese-funded
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
PERMIT REVOKED: The influencer at a news conference said the National Immigration Agency was infringing on human rights and persecuting Chinese spouses Chinese influencer “Yaya in Taiwan” (亞亞在台灣) yesterday evening voluntarily left Taiwan, despite saying yesterday morning that she had “no intention” of leaving after her residence permit was revoked over her comments on Taiwan being “unified” with China by military force. The Ministry of the Interior yesterday had said that it could forcibly deport the influencer at midnight, but was considering taking a more flexible approach and beginning procedures this morning. The influencer, whose given name is Liu Zhenya (劉振亞), departed on a 8:45pm flight from Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) to Fuzhou, China. Liu held a news conference at the airport at 7pm,
KAOHSIUNG CEREMONY: The contract chipmaker is planning to build 5 fabs in the southern city to gradually expand its 2-nanometer chip capacity Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday confirmed that it plans to hold a ceremony on March 31 to unveil a capacity expansion plan for its most advanced 2-nanometer chips in Kaohsiung, demonstrating its commitment to further investment at home. The ceremony is to be hosted by TSMC cochief operating officer Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛). It did not disclose whether Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and high-ranking government officials would attend the ceremony. More details are to be released next week, it said. The chipmaker’s latest move came after its announcement earlier this month of an additional US$100 billion
RSS