President Chen Shui-bian this afternoon called the second round of high-level conference discussing countermeasures against avian flu. He received briefings given by the Department of Health and Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, and joined discussions with participants. The president made a nine-point conclusion following the meeting.
1. Although the highly pathogenic avian influenza runs the risk of becoming an epidemic worldwide, the Executive Yuan has worked with all related authorities in formulating pre-emptive measures regarding prevention and quarantine of the disease and helped Taiwan to remain as a non-affected area. Taiwan also ranks No. 3 following Japan and Australia in ratings made by international risk assessment companies. I hereby express my highest affirmation to the disease prevention team of the Cabinet.
2. The Chinese government has on the one hand suppressed Taiwan from entering international health organizations, making it difficult for us to join the worldwide effort of disease prevention. On the other hand, they have a tendency of covering up this epidemic, given their concerns on economic development, social stability and the 2008 Olympic Games. The possible lack of transparency of the disease in China will put Taiwan at the risk of extreme danger. We hereby urge the international community to join efforts and monitor the spread of the bird flu in China and to ensure that they have a well-established, fast and transparent report system, so China will not become a loophole in the world disease prevention.
3. It is fortunate that the Coast Guard Administration has seized some 1,000 smuggled birds on their way to Taiwan from China on October 14. This prevented us from facing a potential invasion of the deadly disease. We never know, however, whether birds carrying virus H5N1 have already been brought into Taiwan. We all understand that combating a disease is like waging a war. And there should be no loophole in our disease prevention network. And we are concerned that China might set off the epidemic of avian flu in Asia as it boasts to have the world's largest bird and poultry population. We must be on guard and never rule out the possibility that the bird flu might have already entered into this island, and we must do everything we could to break every possible link to the disease. We should also revise immediately related laws and regulations, intensifying the punishment of bird smuggling so as to stop the crime.
4. The making and stockpiling of antiviral drugs and vaccines have become the utmost important work regarding the disease. Whether we purchase it from abroad or make it by ourselves, we must have a satisfiable amount of drugs and vaccines that meet the safety standard of the World Health Organization (WHO). Already in our stockpile is the Tamiflu, the internationally test-proven and most effective solution to the disease. It is meanwhile our only weapon combating the epidemic, though doubts have arisen in respect to its effectiveness. It is the responsibility of the government to teach our general public and help them understand the usefulness of the drugs. On the issue of the authority of drug production, I hope that Premier Frank Hsieh would pay more attention to the matter and solve the problem as soon as possible.
5. The paranoid about the avian influenza in Italy has caused its poultry farmers to go on strikes. But we must know that it doesn't do us good either if we overestimate or underestimate the situation. And we should re-evaluate the appropriateness of the measure announced by the Ministry of Education that students are advised from now on to take their temperature. What we should do for the time being is to educate and to equip people with the correct knowledge about the disease. Also, we must keep the international community with the correct information. Whenever wrong stories about the disease were reported in the international society, we should ask that it be corrected immediately.
6. The outbreak of avian flu in Taiwan will become not only a disaster for national health and for Taiwan's birds and poultry business, but a great threat to social stability and national security. Internationally, we should fight for the right to join efforts with the world in disease prevention. Domestically, everyone from central to local governments should work together to prevent the disease, gather useful resources, maintain enough manpower, engage in inspections and quarantines of the disease, combat bird smuggling, monitor route of migratory birds, keep good management of domestic animals, and increase the ability to manage crises.
7. Up to 18 countries have found cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, with China, Vietnam and Thailand being listed as high-risk areas by the WHO. Our government should take on the responsibility and teach our nationals who plan to travel to these countries on how to save themselves from contracting the epidemic. And we also urge travelers arriving from the above-mentioned nations to exercise health self-management.
8. The strike of SARS two years ago wrecked havoc in the stock market as well as our economy. Western economists have agreed that the impact of avian flu on world economy could run beyond imagination if not handled with care. We therefore ask Vice Premier Wu Rong-yi and Minister without Portfolio Lee Ying-yuan to complete the risk assessment of countermeasures and help the government deal with emergencies.
9. Related authorities please incorporate opinions and suggestions by all participants regarding the issue of avian flu, making them as references for the government's policy-making.