A Taiwanese and an Italian association named after Italian epidemiologist Carlo Urbani yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Vietnamese drugmaker Stella to support medical care programs in Vietnam in commemoration of Urbani, who first identified SARS.
Stella is to provide generic drugs for medical cooperation projects initiated by the associations in Vietnam over the next three years, Carlo Urbani Association Taiwan president Giovanni Juang (莊振澤) told a news conference.
The MOU was signed by representatives from the Carlo Urbani Association Taiwan, Carlo Urbani Association Italy and Stella Vietnam, and was witnessed by members of Urbani’s family and Donato Scioscioli, head of the Italian Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Office in Taipei.
Urbani, a WHO infectious disease specialist who was stationed in Hanoi, first alerted the world to a pneumonia-like emerging disease in February 2003 that was later identified as SARS.
His early warning might have saved millions of lives, but Urbani was infected with the virus while treating SARS patients and died in Bangkok on March 29, 2003, at the age of 46.
The SARS epidemic gripped Taiwan in the first half of 2003, but the outbreak was eventually contained.
According to WHO data for that year, there were 346 SARS cases and 37 deaths caused by the virus in Taiwan.
Urbani is highly respected by many Taiwanese for the contributions and sacrifice he made to control the SARS outbreak, Scioscioli said.
The MOU marks a concrete approach to commemorating Urbani for what he did, Scioscioli said, adding that the memorandum might have a positive influence in the medical care field.
Juang and the Taiwanese association’s honorary president Chi Cheng (紀政) also announced the winners of the annual Carlo Urbani Award.
The award went to Shi Ping-wei (石品薇), a graduate of National Taiwan University’s Department of Public Health, and Chu Yi-ching (曲怡靜), a graduate of National Chiayi University’s Department of Veterinary Medicine.
They would be given scholarships to study infectious diseases at tropical medicine research centers in Africa, Juang said.
An English-language biography of Urbani, titled Doctor Without Borders, was also unveiled at the news conference.
Chi said she was touched by Urbani’s autobiography because it showed his love for the world, adding that she hopes Juang’s dream of building a hospital in Vietnam to continue Urbani’s work could be fulfilled.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS