Three government entities yesterday announced that they would jointly study the effects of global warming on the spread of disease-bearing mosquitos in Taiwan.
The study would help authorities develop a comprehensive policy response as mosquito-borne diseases are becoming more prevalent with climate change, officials from the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), Taipei City Government and National Mosquito-Borne Disease and Research Center told a news conference in Taipei.
The project would map the distribution of mosquito populations and project their spread to support disease control strategies, said Chen Chin-sheng (陳錦生), the convener of the center’s consultative committee.
Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei Times
Climate change causes drought and floods, which — especially when occurring in succession — are conducive to the spread of mosquitoes populations and mosquito-borne infections, EPA Deputy Minister Shen Chih-hsiu (沈志修) said.
Rising average temperatures and longer periods of heat have led to shifts in the distribution of Taiwan’s mosquito populations, Shen said.
The project would help city and county governments combat the insects, he added.
Scientific models predict that 50 to 60 percent of the world population would by 2085 live in areas where dengue fever is prevalent, said Huang Ching-gi (黃旌集), an assistant researcher at the center.
The models show that the risk of dengue fever transmission in northern Taiwan would increase significantly by 2050, he said.
Climate change is correlated to higher risk of dengue transmission, as mosquitoes — the main vector of the disease — thrive at high temperatures, he said.
The models show that mosquitoes would carry the disease to regions further to the north and at higher altitudes, he added.
The government study would divide Taiwan in 10km2 research areas, and in its first phase focus on Taipei and high-altitude areas, Huang said.
The next phase would add New Taipei City and Taichung, he said.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
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