Taiwan to join health alert system

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-24 09:02

The World Health Organization (WHO) has agreed to accept Taiwan into its global health alert mechanism while still denying observer status to it, local media reported on Thursday.

The WHO includes Taiwan in the International Health Regulations (IHR), a framework to "prevent, protect against, control and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease".

It means WHO will send its global public health alert to Taiwan directly, instead of going through the mainland, and involve the Taiwan center for disease control (CDC) in its discussions on the prevention of epidemics.

The WHO will also send experts to Taiwan in case of the outbreak of an epidemic.

The breakthrough comes after President Hu Jintao proposed ending hostilities across the Straits and pursuing the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties in December.

Hu renewed his promise to consider the Taiwan people's demands to participate in international activities.

Taiwan was expelled from the WHO since 1972, one year after it lost its seat in the United Nations to the mainland.

In 1993, Taiwan launched a campaign to rejoin the UN and other UN-affiliated organizations, including the WHO. The effort has not succeeded, as Taiwan is part of China and cannot join international agencies, which are open only to sovereign states.

Taiwan CDC Director Kuo Hsu-song was quoted by Taiwan-based United News as saying he was notified by the WHO on Jan 13. It is a positive move, and the organization will keep in touch with the WHO to see it is implemented, he said.

Lin Shih-chia, executive director of the Medical Professionals' Alliance in Taiwan, said the current direct transport links will lead to a faster spread of disease, and epidemic information must be reported in time.

In another development, a senior mainland official on Taiwan affairs called for closer cross-Straits ties on Friday in his Spring Festival greeting to people in Taiwan.

"We sincerely hope the two sides of the Taiwan Straits could improve well-meaning communication, continue to achieve consensus and keep the momentum of positive interaction to improve cross-Straits ties," Wang Yi, minister of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said.