President Ma Ying-jeou met at the Presidential Office on the afternoon of November 27 with Professor Harald zur Hausen, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), extended a warm welcome to Professor zur Hausen on his visit to Taiwan.
The president commented that Professor zur Hausen over the past 30 years has been involved in research related to human papillomaviruses and their relationship to cervical cancer, making it possible to develop vaccines against the HPV 16 and HPV18 strains. This has marked a breakthrough in the treatment of cervical diseases and has helped to save the lives of countless women, the president said.
President Ma said that cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer causing death among women in Taiwan. In recent years, HPV vaccines, pap smears, and other screening methods have significantly reduced the danger facing women in this regard, and this is due in no small part to the contributions made by Professor zur Hausen, the president said.
President Ma remarked that in his presidential campaign platform, he noted that a policy goal would be to reduce the incidence of the main types of cancers in Taiwan by 10% and to step up efforts in the areas of cancer prevention and treatment. As a result, he said he hopes that Professor zur Hausen can provide his assistance to create a healthier and safer environment in Taiwan.
The president said that experts here have indicated that cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer are among the leading causes of death in Taiwan. In the past when Taiwan was developing a vaccine against Hepatitis B, researchers discovered that the injection of the vaccine significantly reduced the number of people that contracted liver cancer and cirrhosis. This result was similar to the discovery by Professor zur Hausen that the HPV 16 and HPV 18 vaccines played a direct role in reducing the incidence of cervical cancer, he said. President Ma expressed his hope that Professor zur Hausen's research and expertise can be used to help Taiwan take a giant leap forward in cancer prevention.
Professor zur Hausen expressed his appreciation to President Ma for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with him. He also said that he is delighted to be invited to Taiwan to deliver an address and to share his experiences with the Taiwan medical and academic communities. He also stated that he hopes to further exchange opinions on various issues with Taiwan's medical community and government agencies.
Professor zur Hausen was accompanied to the Presidential Office in the afternoon by Dr. Ovid J. L. Tzeng, Minister without Portfolio, and Chang Shan-chwen, Department of Health Deputy Minister, to meet President Ma. Also in attendance was National Security Council Advisor Dr. Philip Y. M. Yang.