When the outbreak of Avian Flu occurred in 1997, the disease garnered some attention, but was primarily regarded as a "Southeast Asian problem." Much has changed in the last decade. With world more interconnected than ever, disease control is not just a national or regional issue, but a global one. Since its re-emergence in 2003, avian influenza has killed more than 100 people around the globe and spread from Southeast Asia to Europe and Africa. With more than 50% mortality rate among those infected with the disease, avian flu has the potential to be more deadly than the Spanish flu that killed more than 50 million people in 1918.
Despite Taiwan's unique situation, as it is not a part of many international organizations, Taiwan has actively participated and contributed to the global efforts to fight infectious diseases. Three years ago, Taiwan was severely hurt by the SARS outbreak. Not being a member of the WHO and with limited international ties only complicated Taiwan's effort in combating SARS.
SARS originated in China in 2003 and first spread to Taiwan in March of that year. The government of Taiwan immediately adopted control measures to contain the epidemic, including quarantining those who had had contact with suspected SARS patients, implementing a compulsory ten-day quarantine for all passengers arriving from areas with recent local transmissions, designating several hospitals for use as separate medical centers for the treatment of suspected SARS patients, and encouraging everyone to wash their hands regularly and measure their temperature many times per day. Despite national efforts to implement extensive control measures, however, unrecognized cases of SARS led to subsequent spread of the disease to other health-care facilities and communities. In one neighborhood in Taipei, three hospitals were affected, impacting access and deterring people from seeking routine medical care. Taiwan was ultimately successful in containing SARS by July of 2003, 81 people died as a result of the disease. The entire country learned a valuable lesson from the SARS outbreak, but at a considerable high price.
The experience of SARS has taught us that every outbreak of infectious disease can easily spread globally if we do not work together, and Taiwan is sharing its expertise in combating serious epidemic outbreaks whenever possible through bilateral and international platforms. For example, Taiwan representatives participate in APEC Pandemic Response Exercise 2006 as primary player, and attend many technical conferences organized by the WHO. In addition, as a member of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Taiwan continues to fulfill its obligation to keep animal disease information transparent. Taiwan's Council of Agriculture has prepared 70 million doses of avian flu vaccines for poultry to be used for vaccination in a buffer zone. In addition to our donation to Vietnam and Indonesia in 2005, Taiwan has also reached the WHO's goal of storing enough Tamiflu vaccine for 10% of our population this year. In this April, batches of relief materials such as isolation gowns, protective clothes, N95 masks and experts from Taiwan were sent to Burkina Faso to help the locals with avian flu control.
So the first aspect of sharing is for us to share across national borders. Health issues and diseases today are not domestic issues. When disease travels easily across borders, the lack of health care in one country should concern all of us. The people of one country may enjoy one of the world's best health care system, yet they can easily become victims of a highly infectious disease if the people of their neighboring countries are suffering from lack of access to adequate health care. As we see in the case of the spread of avian flu, it is not a problem limited to developing countries. A wealth European country is just as at risk as a developing Southeast Asian country, and the outbreak can take place suddenly beyond the neighboring countries of an infected area. Distance is no longer a protection, and political differences can no longer be the excuse for our indifference as the human toll of the disease increases.
The second aspect of sharing is to share across professions. Taiwan's effective preventative measures are primarily overseen by the Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health. In addition, an inter-agency task force on avian flu is in charge of establishing an emergency control center and coordinating emergency responses to potential outbreaks. The spread of the avian flu is not just a health problem. It is an economic problem to the farmers who have lost their poultry stocks, and the significant impact of a potential human-to-human outbreak posts a serious security problem.
Ministries in charge of economic affairs and agriculture needs to address the economic impact of the avian flu, while environmental protection and wild life conservation agencies assist in tracking the movement of potentially infected migratory birds. Customs officials and coast guards that typically look for arms and drug smugglers now also must track down smuggled pet birds. Recently, Taiwan's coast guard intercepted smuggled pet birds from China, a large number of which carry the avian flu virus. An interdisciplinary and inter-agency approach is thus necessary. In symposium such as this, it is often tempting to turn it into an academic medical conference, but I encourage our experts and participants in this symposium to take in different perspectives in addressing the avian flu epidemics.
Platform such as this symposium is thus an important venue in our joint effort to combat this common threat. This symposium does not only bring scientific expertise to the table, but also provide practical practices and past experiences in dealing with similar flu outbreaks. Through the DPU, I especially hope that Taiwan can share its experience and resources with other countries that form the front line against such a disease.
I founded DPU last year with the participation of 28 democratic countries around the East and the West Pacific regions to promote the soft power of democracy, peace and prosperity. By creating a network of democracy around the Pacific Ocean, the DPU supplements many regional and international organizations that primarily focuse on economic and security issues. As such, DPU has already established a Pacific Center for Disaster Reduction in December last year, on the anniversary of the Southeast Asian Tsunami. Some of the Center's programs include the International Training Program for Typhoon and Flood Disaster Reduction and a survey team's mission to Yogyakarta Earthquake site. In addition to humanitarian and disaster relief programs, the DPU has hosted several regional conventions focusing on sustainable economy and promotion of democratic values. Most recently, we held the West Pacific Regional Convention in Seoul, Korea, and we are also planning a Pacific Congressional Caucus of distinguished parliamentary members as well as a League of Pacific Universities linking leading academic institutions throughout our member countries.
DPU's model is to build bridges and create networks for people of different disciples and different countries. For example, prior to today's symposium, the DPU has hosted health officials from Indonesia to work with their Taiwan counterpart in a one-week program to combat avian flu. I hope that this symposium will serve as a continuation of that relationship and an expansion beyond bilateral cooperation because we are safer when governments and people are prepared with a better understanding and ability to combat the spread of infectious disease. This is the core essence of soft power--it becomes stronger when shared by more people.
The DPU anticipates more exchanges and cooperation with the Indonesian government and NGOs on combating newly emerging infectious diseases, particularly avian flu. I believe that this symposium will serve as an important step to develop a multilateral and multi-disciplinary approach in the fight against the avian flu and in our effort to safeguard human security. I wish the Symposium a great success.
Thank you.