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Taiwan shares its SARS experience in fight against Ebola

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ebola-1280x960From the first case of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) discovered in Taiwan on 25 February 2003, until the moment the World Health Organization (WHO) cleared Taiwan from the list of SARS affected areas on 5 July 2003, 346 cases of SARS had been confirmed within Taiwan. 37 of those people died, showing a mortality rate of 10.6% (according to the WHO). Taiwan is the country closest to mainland China - the original source of the outbreak of SARS - and it is an important gateway to the mainland and the rest of the world. More than 2.1 million passengers travelled between Taiwan and mainland China, including Hong Kong and Macau, over the course of 2003. Nevertheless, the SARS epidemic remained under control in Taiwan, thanks to the sustained efforts of health care professionals, with mortality rates lower than those in France, Canada, Singapore, and many other countries. Today, 11 years after SARS, the Republic of China (Taiwan) government has used its SARS experience to take a series of measures to protect against the outbreak and spread of the Ebola virus.

When the WHO declared the current Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 8 August, the Taiwan government immediately established a Task Force for Ebola Virus Disease Response to monitor the virus and reinforce the implementation of Ebola prevention measures. In practice, these measures can be divided into four domains: border protection, national disease control, personal protection and international relief support.

In the field of border protection, Taiwan has a number of heightened border security measures that were instituted during the SARS period, including fever screening checkpoints at all ports of entry. From October 21 onwards, passengers arriving in Taiwan from Ebola areas have been required to fill out an Ebola Declaration Form, describing their travel history. These border measures constitute the first line of defense, which allows Taiwan to activate a response mechanism if a suspected case is identified, so as to contain the virus.

Besides increased vigilance at border control, we also pay special attention to the protection of medical staff, and continue to stress the importance of “control within the borders”. As of this date, hospitals have conducted more than 1,200 Ebola safety training drills and trained over 100,000 healthcare workers. The six Ebola-designated hospitals around Taiwan have been instructed to ensure that all frontline healthcare workers are properly trained in how to effectively use the personal protective equipment (PPE).

In terms of “personal protection”, the government has released an advertising campaign to raise public awareness and participation in personal protection practices to prevent the spread of the virus. These include encouraging people to take their temperature regularly, maintaining strict hand hygiene, avoiding crowded places, seeking medical help for a fever of over 38°C, wearing mouth masks, etc. In addition, the government has also urged the public to contact the 24h disease prevention hotline [1922], which was established during the SARS period, when encountering a suspect disease case.

Due to Taiwan’s experience with SARS epidemic prevention, it wishes to work with the international community on its battle against Ebola. President Ma Ying-jeou has pledged to provide 100,000 sets of protective clothing, aid donations of US$1 million, and Taiwan will also dispatch a team of medical experts to affected areas in West Africa. Additionally, the Taiwan Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) has been in close contact with international FETPs, including US and Nigerian health officials, to exchange information on Ebola aid activities as well as to discuss how the Taiwan FETP can contribute to and participate in international medical aid efforts.

Recently, a new case of suspected Ebola contamination occurred in Brussels. In this era of globalization, the disease will only spread faster. For this reason, unprecedented international cooperation is urgently needed to keep the disease from crossing borders as much as possible. As infectious diseases know no boundaries, Taiwan hopes that through its successful approach in SARS containment, it can share its experience in epidemic prevention with Belgium and Europe, to jointly eliminate the threat that faces us.

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Yuan Chuan-chuan
Director, Health Division
Taipei Representative Office in EU and Belgium

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