SWITZERLAND: TAIWAN ACCUSES WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION OF A "LACK OF MORAL COURAGE" IN NOT ADMITTING TAIWAN TO FULL WHO MEMBERSHIP

Record ID: 643506

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: TAIWAN ACCUSES WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION OF A "LACK OF MORAL COURAGE" IN NOT ADMITTING TAIWAN TO FULL WHO MEMBERSHIP
  • Date: 23rd May 2003
  • Summary: (W4) GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (MAY 22, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, VENUE FOR NEWS CONFERENCE 0.04 2. MV DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TAIWAN'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT CHEN CHIEN-JEN ARRIVING; MV MEDIA WAITING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (2 SHOTS) 0.12 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHEN CHIEN-JEN "I think the sum of the SARS condition in Taiwan is devastating and we have a lot of people suffering and dying from the disease. Yesterday we had the highest number of probable cases, we have 65 probable cases yesterday and we have been doing what we can do and still we need help from other countries. And we are very grateful to have help from CDC, U.S. CDC and WHO experts coming to Taiwan to help us but this help came not near enough and that's the reason why we need to be in WHO observer in order to get immediately direct information and technical support, rather than (Indistinct) in very indirect way." 1.12 4. SLV TAIWAN MINISTERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE 1.14 5. (SOUNDBITE) FOREIGN MINISTER MICHAEL YING-MAO KAU SAYING "Why you can give protection for everybody and shouting the slogan "health for all" around the world but sorry, not for the twenty three million people on Taiwan And why, it is because of political consideration, of course China's obstruction but also lack of courage, moral courage from the WHO and probably if the world is aware, it's the so-called health apartheid against Taiwan's twenty three million people. It should be rectified." 1.54 6. SLV NEWS CONFERENCE 1.57 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHEN CHIEN-JEN "I think in order to combat the SARS, this killer disease, everything has to be honest, to be transparent and thus the way we are doing for the whole world, we want to give the transparent and honest figures in order to protect the health of all the people in the world. This is a very interesting contrast to the situation in mainland China, If the outbreak in Guangdong were reported earlier none of the countries in the world would be affected with SARS and twenty three million people in Taiwan would not be suffering and dying from SARS for the time being." 2.44 8. SLV NEWS CONFERENCE 2.47 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 7th June 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Reuters ID: LVADRKE8B3EVDBQGSQXH076HDD1R
  • Story Text: Taiwan has accused the WHO (World Health Organisation)
    of a "lack of moral courage" by not admitting Taiwan to full
    WHO membership and thus depriving the country of crucial help
    in the midst of the SARS crisis.

    Taiwan's top health official said on Thursday (May 22)
    that he expected the SARS outbreak on the island to be
    contained in early June thanks to strict measures to control
    infections in hospitals.

    Chen Chien-jen, director general of Taiwan's health
    department, told a news briefing in Geneva that measures
    including a rigorous control programme to limit hospital
    infections should pay off within weeks.

    Taiwan, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) says has
    the world's fastest-growing outbreak of SARS, reported a
    record 65 probable new infections on Thursday, for a total of
    483 cases and 60 deaths.

    Taiwan's Foreign Minister, Michael Ying-Mao Kau said the
    WHO should give more help to Taiwan in tackling the outbreak.

    "Why you can give protection for everybody and shouting
    the slogan "health for all" around the world but sorry, not
    for the 23 million people on Taiwan? And why - it is because
    of political consideration, of course China's obstruction but
    also lack of courage, moral courage from the WHO and probably
    if the world is aware, it's the so-called health apartheid
    against Taiwan's 23 million people. It should be rectified."
    The virus has spread to the island's south from the
    capital Taipei, the worst-hit area of the country. A ninth
    hospital reported a suspected outbreak on Wednesday, while
    authorities slapped hefty fines on two hospitals for covering
    up the spread of the disease.

    "I think in order to combat the SARS, this killer disease,
    everything has to be honest, to be transparent and thus the
    way we are doing for the whole world, we want to give the
    transparent and honest figures in order to protect the health
    of all the people in the world. This is a very interesting
    contrast to the situation in mainland China, If the outbreak
    in Guangdong were reported earlier none of the countries in
    the world would be affected with SARS and 23 million people in
    Taiwan would not be suffering and dying from SARS for the time
    being," Chen Chien-Jen said.

    SARS, which has no standard treatment, has killed more
    than 660 people and infected nearly 8,000 worldwide since it
    appeared in southern China in late 2002. It is spread in
    droplets from coughs and sneezes and travellers have carried
    it around the world.


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