Taipei, May 13 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Tuesday that Taiwan is well-equipped to win the war on severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Chen expressed his confidence in the nation's all-out fight against the potentially fatal contagious disease during an inspection tour of the Institute of Preventive Medical Research (IPMR) at the National Defense University in Sanhsia, on the outskirts of Taipei.
After listening to a briefing on SARS virus testing and research from IPMR Director Liu Hung-wen, Chen said he admires the institute's achievements in microbial research over the years.
It was Chen's first visit to the military-run research institute that specializes in research and development of methods to detect microbes that can be used in biological weapons, such as bacteria, viruses and other toxic substances.
Chen became only the second Republic of China president after the late President Chiang Ching-kuo to visit the little-known research body.
Noting that the government has formed a SARS research guidance committee, Chen said the IPMR should be included on the research team to speed up the development of a vaccine for SARS prevention and a reagent that would allow quick diagnosis of SARS. "Outfitted with a top-grade P4 laboratory, the IPMR will definitely be able to contribute a great deal to SARS research," Chen said.
Chen said Taiwan is one of the few countries in the world that can boast a cutting-edge P4 laboratory. "At this critical moment in the fight against SARS, we should pool our wisdom and resources in the civilian and military sectors in order to wipe out the disease as soon as possible," Chen said.
The Cabinet-level research committee is headed by Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh, a co-winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in chemistry, and its members include many prominent academics, such as Dr. Michael Lai, a U.S.-based specialist in coronavirus -- the pathogen that causes SARS, Chen said.
With a solid base in the biochemical and pharmaceutical industries, as well as a rich talent pool and top-notch research equipment, Chen said he is convinced Taiwan will be able to turn the SARS crisis into an opportunity for advancement in health care services and biomedical technology.
Chen was accompanied on his visit by Minister of Defense Tang Yiau-ming, Lee, Lai and other members of the new SARS research panel.