Dear EFTHA friends,
The World Medical Journal, official journal of the World Medical Association, has a full-page coverage of the Taiwan Medical Association in the issue of May, 2008. We are pleased to share this with all.
http://www.wma.net/e/publications/pdf/wmj18.pdf
Th e Taiwan Medical AssociationTh e Taiwan Medical Association (TMA)was established in 1930 to advance medicalknowledge, to uphold members’ rights,to strengthen physician-patient relations,as well as to advocate social services. Th eTMA is composed of regional medical associationsfrom 23 counties around Taiwan.Its membership is compulsory for everypracticing physician. Among the total 36991 TMA members (fi gure for the end of2007), 30% practice in medical centres, 13%in regional hospitals, 18% in local hospitals,and 39% in private clinics. Th e physicianpatientratio is 1:653.Th e TMA has formed ten committees tocarry out its various missions and duties.Th ese include Health Care Policy Committee,National Health Insurance Committee,Health Industry Advisory Committee,Medical Laws and Regulations Committee,Academic Committee, Member WelfareCommittee, Medical Ethics and DisciplineCommittee, International Aff airs Committee,Public Relations Committee, and PublicationsCommittee. In many areas, ad hoctask forces are set up to study relevant issuesand to provide policy suggestions for theExecutive Board.For more than a decade, the TMA has activelyparticipated in several key areas topromote the health of all Taiwanese, includingthe formulation and revision of apatient-centred National Health InsurancePolicy in Taiwan, the advocacy of qualityof care and patient safety, the implementationof continuing medical education, andthe uplift of moral standards of health careprofessionals. In the international forum,the TMA joins forces with the rest of theworld through the World Medical Associationand CMAAO to increase its visibility,and to express Taiwan’s good will to servethe international community. In time of disastersand emergency around the globe, theTMA has taken little time in mobilising itsmembers to provide emergency relief andmedical aid to people in need.Th e TMA has established close interactionwith the WMA in recent years by participatingin various programs and activities.Th e translation and publication of “Manualof Medical Ethics” of WMA enables TMAmembers to share WMA’s policy changes,its functions and the contribution to allphysicians around the world. By workingwith the WMA in devising declarationsand policies, the TMA acquires updated informationon medicine, ethics, and medicaleducation.Th e TMA strongly believes in the collaborationamong all national medical associationsunder the auspice of the WMA.Th e sharing of information and resources,and the joint eff ort in international medicalassistance will enable us to create a trulyglobal village.Dr. Ming-Been Lee, the President of TMATaiwan Medical Assembly in 2007
2008年6月1日 星期日
Recommendation of a website
Dear EFTHA website readers, and those concern about Taiwan, a website/blog by a Belge gentleman who now teaches in Taiwan, will be a very interesting one for all of you,
http://johangijsen.blogspot.com/
http://johangijsen.blogspot.com/
推薦文章: 我讀歐巴尼／林衡哲
我的私房書
我讀歐巴尼
文／林衡哲
在 我一生的讀書經驗中，我的私房書似乎不斷地在改變中。在小學時代，我最愛的讀物是《學友》與《東方少年》這二本雜誌。到了初中時代，傳記文學變成了我的文 學初戀情人，例如居禮夫人傳、林肯傳、華盛頓傳、富蘭克林傳、畢斯麥傳等都是在初中時代看的，同時也看了不少梁啟超、胡適和林語堂的作品，莎士比亞的羅密 歐與茱麗葉中譯本是引領我進入西洋文學的第一本書。
高 中在建中時，頗受羅曼羅蘭的《貝多芬傳》、《約翰．克利斯多夫》、托爾斯泰的《戰爭與和平》、歌德的《浮士德》、但丁的《神曲》以及朱生豪翻譯的莎翁劇本 的影響。因為對文學的興趣，而保送東海外文系。後因看了協志叢書《史懷哲傳》，而「棄文從醫」，考取台大醫學院。在台大時代，我頗受史懷哲「尊重生命」的 精神以及羅素的「懷疑精神」底影響，培養我獨立思考的能力，加上卡薩爾斯的「理想主義」和反抗獨裁者的精神，也深深地影響我的一生，另外愛因斯坦以知識份 子的良知，去反抗龐大的極權專政，這種知其不可為而為之的精神，對我也頗有影響。因此基於「有第一流的文化才能創見第一流的國度」的信念，我在1967 年催生了「新潮文庫」，並譯出了《羅素回憶集》及《羅素傳》，同時也請林宜勝先生譯出《白鳥之歌：卡薩爾斯自述傳》、張聖輝譯出菲利蒲．法蘭克所寫的《愛 因斯坦傳》，並由曹永洋先生編出一系列的「史懷哲叢書」，讓羅素、史懷哲、愛因斯坦和卡薩爾斯的精神，在台灣這塊土地上開花結果。
1968 年出國之後，我由台灣文化的文盲變成台灣文化的奉獻者，因為我到美國之後，我才讀到真正的台灣歷史以及認識多采多姿的台灣文化，其中吳濁流的《無花果》、 彭明敏的《自由的滋味》、柯喬治的《被出賣的台灣》以及黃煌雄的《蔣渭水傳》和李南衡的《賴和全集》對我都有深遠的影響，因此1983年我在美國創刊「台 灣文庫」時，馬上推出《無花果》與《自由的滋味》等，希望這些書能讓台灣人覺醒認同自己的國家與土地，在美國出版的42部「台灣文庫」建立了台灣傳記文學 的新傳統，1998年我終於落葉歸根，返台後成立了望春風出版社，繼續出版傳記名著及台灣文化名著，同時也在去年推出了「望春風世界文學名著」，其中最感 動我的一本書是：《卡羅．歐巴尼醫師傳奇》。
我第一次聽到歐巴尼醫師是在2003 年4月，那時我正擔任衛生署顧問，為台灣加入WHO而努力，同事蘇金鳳女士提供我不少有關歐巴尼為SARS而「燃燒自己、照亮全世界」的英勇事蹟，不久在 《自由時報》上看到一篇有關歐巴尼的報導，於是我整理出一篇紀念歐巴尼的文章五千字，發表在《新台灣》雜誌上。不久我去日內瓦參加第五十六屆WHO大會 時，本來想大會結束後親自坐火車去拜訪歐巴尼夫人茱莉安妮，為歐巴尼寫出一本書，想不到義大利台商會會長莊振澤及衛生署派駐日內瓦代表張武修，已經邀請歐 巴尼夫人及16歲的大兒子來參加我國在紅十字會總部主辦的「SARS國際學術研討會」，張武修臨時要我介紹歐巴尼夫人，這是我這次瑞士之行最大的光榮與收 穫，歐巴尼夫人是一位非常單純而誠樸的人，她顯得很堅強，認為她丈夫的犧牲是有價值的，他求仁得仁無怨無悔。歐巴尼16歲的大兒子已經是一位小大人，他說 他將追隨他爸爸的理想，將來也要作醫師，繼續服務人群。
能 夠出版《歐巴尼醫師傳奇》，是我一生出版事業的高潮，作者貝美穗是義大利名記者兼名作家，漢譯者古桂英，譯筆流暢，在信、雅、達三方面均達完美之境。此書 透過作者親自訪問歐巴尼的母親、家人、心靈知己及朋友、同事們，把他多采多姿的一生及內心世界娓娓道來，確實是一部動人的文學傳記，這是我在大學時代看 《史懷哲自傳》之後，令人印象最深刻也是最感人的一部醫師傳記。如果史懷哲「尊重生命」的精神和歐巴尼「視病如親」的精神，能在台灣的醫界與社會發揚光 大，相信一個充滿愛心的現代化社會便會慢慢地在台灣形成。如果每一個醫生都看過此書，也許「邱小妹事件」就不會在台灣發生，歐巴尼醫師的存在，不僅是義大 利的榮耀，也是全球醫界的榮耀，我的很多朋友包括陳永興院長、賴其萬教授、廖運範醫師等人都看了此書，而流下了感動之淚；我的眼睛雖然沒有流淚，但在我內 心的深處，我也感動得在內心流淚。
聯合國秘書長安南在為此書作序時說：「卡羅．歐巴尼醫生，一生以致力於救護他人生命為使命，然而無常的命運，殘酷弄人，竟在他盡力挽救他人性命於SARS病患時，讓病毒奪走了生命，他站在最前線對抗病毒，我們要以英雄的形象紀念他，因為他的確是名符其實的真英雄。」
我深信《歐巴尼醫師傳奇》是一部永恆價值的書，值得每一位讀者的一再閱讀與珍藏。（2005年12月10日於台北關渡）
林衡哲 小檔案
1967年畢業於本校醫學系。大學期間為了賺取學費，以筆名「林衡哲」譯介外國文史哲叢書，其主編之「新潮文庫」（志文出版社），曾激勵了無數的年輕學子，影響極為深遠。
1968年赴美，在醫師本業之外，仍不忘情文化事業，1983年創辦「台灣文庫」，先後出版近40本傳記及文化叢書。1997年回台，在花蓮門諾醫院擔任小兒科主任，不改「文化醫師」本色，成立「望春風」出版社，繼續為發揚台灣文化而努力，曾任台南市文化局局長。
Source: http://www.alum.ntu.edu.tw/read.php?num=43&sn=913
Share this Summer Program in Taiwan
| Introduction | |||
| 1.Aims | |||
The National Yang-Ming University TMTCA program is a short-term program to introduce to international students with traditional medicine and Taiwanese culture and art. This program is to accept students for 2 weeks during summer and winter break. Courses are taught in English and on-site visits after lessons. Students can benefit from this program on:
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2. Requirements | |||
To apply for the NYMU TMTCA program, applicants must meet all the following requirements:
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| 3. Number of Students Accepted | |||
| 20 students for each program | |||
| 4. Program Calendar | |||
*We also offer an optional 2 days culture program to east coast and Taroko Gorge National Park. Students could experience nature beauty and aboriginal culture of Taiwan. (NT$5,000 for 2 days’ program) | |||
| 5. Tuition | |||
| Tuition will be waived for students from the universities that have the formal academic exchange agreement or memorandum with National Yang-Ming University. The list can be found through http://issue.ym.edu.tw/cia/new/fundingfaq/sister_universities.php Students from the universities that have no agreement or memorandum with National Yang-Ming University are obliged to pay the registration fee NT$15,000 (US$500) for two weeks program. The registration fee is included the in-campus dormitory, lessons materials and site visit traveling fee. | |||
| 6. Certificate of Completion | |||
Students who complete all programs could obtain a certificate issued by National Yang-Ming University. | |||
Taiwan's scientists made great breakthrough on degue fever!
Breakthrough in hunt for dengue treatment
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
Last Updated: 6:01pm BST 21/05/2008
A way has been found to fight a mosquito-borne virus that infects 50 million people annually, and puts another half a million in hospital, some with a lethal fever.
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Some 2.5 billion people – two fifths of the world's population – are now at risk from dengue, an infection that causes a severe flu-like illness, and sometimes a potentially lethal complication called dengue haemorrhagic fever.
The World Health Organisation estimates there may be 50 million dengue infections worldwide every year. An estimated 500 000 people require hospitalization, mostly children, and 2.5 per cent die. There is no specific treatment for the virus.
Now, in the journal Nature, Dr Shie-Liang Hsieh of National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, and colleagues have identified a molecule targeted by the dengue virus in mice that brings about the haemorrhagic fever associated with lethal disease.
The virus hijacks the CLEC5A molecule on immune cells to cause a massive release of potent inflammatory agents known as cytokines. TThe storm of these cytokines is are probably responsible for the extreme inflammation that causes haemorrhagic fever.
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Using antibodies to block the interaction between CLEC5A and dengue virus, the team found they could prevent inflammation without affecting the normal immune response to virus infection.
What's more, half of mice treated with these antibodies managed to clear the virus. This ability to control inflammation and simultaneously maintain natural viral immunity makes CLEC5A an exciting prospect for the development of new treatments, says the team.
The current antibody has to be "humanised" so it is not attacked by the body. "It is estimated to take two years to enter phase I clinical trial, after the humanization of the current antibody for toxicology and preclinical study," says Dr Hsieh.
He adds: "The technology we develop can also be used to identify therapeutic targets of other viruses, including members of flaviviruses, such as West Nile Virus and Japanese Encephalitis Viruses."
The spread of dengue is attributed to expanding geographic distribution of the four dengue viruses and the mosquitoes that carry them, the most important of which is the predominantly urban species Aedes aegypti.
Midday article: Royal care for some of India's patients, neglect for others
Royal care for some of India's patients, neglect for others
Sunday, June 1, 2008
BANGALORE, India: "To get the best care," Robin Steeles said gamely, "you gotta pay for it."
Steeles, 60, a car dealer from Daphne, Alabama, had flown halfway around the world last month to save his heart, at a price he could pay. He had a mitral valve repaired at a state-of-the-art private hospital here, called Wockhardt, and for 10 days, he was recuperating in a carpeted, wood-paneled room, with a view of a leafy green courtyard.
A dietician helped select his meals. A dermatologist came as soon as he complained of an itch. His Royal Suite had cable TV, a computer, a minirefrigerator, where an attendant that afternoon stashed some ice cream, for when he felt hungry later. Three days after surgery, he was sitting in a chair, smiling, chattering, thrilled to be alive.
On his bed lay the morning's paper. Dominating its front page was the story of other men, many of them day laborers who laid bricks and mixed cement for Bangalore's construction boom, who had fallen gravely ill after drinking illegally brewed liquor. All told, more than 150 died that week, here and in neighboring Tamil Nadu State.
Not for them the care of India's best private hospitals. They had been wheeled in by wives and brothers to the overstretched government-run Bowring Hospital, on the other side of town. Bowring had no intensive care unit, no ventilators, no dialysis machine. Dinner was a stack of white bread, on which a healthy cockroach crawled while a patient, named Yelappa, slept.
Wockhardt has 30 ventilators, including some that are noninvasive, so the patient does not have to have a tube rammed down his throat. At any one time, a half-dozen are in use. An elderly woman had been in its intensive care unit for a week, on dialysis; her family wanted to do whatever possible to keep her alive, no matter the cost.
At Bowring, one of the young doctors, named Harish, said a ventilator and a dialysis machine would have allowed him to keep half of his patients alive. The most severe case, Mohammed Amin, was breathing with the aid of a hand pump that his wife squeezed silently. Harish sent the relative of one man to get blood tests done at the nearest private hospital; there was no equipment to do the test here. Then the doctor rushed to the triage section in Bowring's lobby, where the newest patient, writhing, resisting, disoriented from the poison in his gut, had to be tied down with bedsheets.
Where you stand on the Indian social ladder shapes to a large degree what kind of health you're in, and what kind of health care you receive. The beds in Bowring were taken up by small skinny men. One of Wockhardt's most popular offerings is a weight loss program, and the majority of walk-ins at its outpatient clinic suffer from diabetes, closely linked to obesity.
This is no anomaly. A government-sponsored National Family Health Survey released last fall says a woman born in the poorest 20 percent of the population is more than twice as likely to be underweight than one in the richest quintile, and 50 percent more likely to be anemic.
For children, the gap is equally stark. The poorest quintile is more than twice as likely to be stunted, a function of chronic malnutrition, and nearly three times less likely to be fully immunized.
It is not as if the poor do not seek treatment, Jishnu Das, an economist who studies health and poverty for the World Bank, points out. They do, and sometimes more often than the rich. It is just that they are more likely, Das says, to land at the doorstep of a caregiver who is incompetent, ill-trained or indifferent to their needs.
"The poor are not dying and sick because they do not go to seek medical care," he said. "In fact, the poor are going to doctors in droves. There are no good options for the poor. The private hospitals and care they are able to access is of very low quality, and when they try and access government care, they receive no attention whatsoever."
The survey found that two-thirds of Indian households rely on private medical care when sick, a preference that cuts across class. Asked why they don't use public facilities, the most common answer was poor care.
India has a countrywide network of government-funded primary health centers and hospitals, but staffing, medicines and resources vary widely. Some, especially in rural India, are notorious for having staff doctors on paper at best. This is only beginning to change. The government has increased health spending in recent years, and this year began a health insurance program that would allow people in poverty access to a hospital of their choice.
The Planning Commission of India this year found that in government-run health centers, 45 percent of gynecologist posts and 53 percent of pediatric posts went unfilled, and that salaries for government doctors are a fraction of those at new private hospitals like Wockhardt.
Wockhardt struggles to fill its slots, too, but its facilities allow it to aggressively recruit, including from among Indian doctors who have worked abroad for years.
The morning papers did not let Steeles forget the vast gulf between his predicament and that of the hooch drinkers fighting for life at Bowring. Yet as far apart as they were, their tales followed a somewhat parallel plot. The American health care system could no more care for Steeles than the Indian system could for Amin.
Steeles came here because he is uninsured, and could not afford heart surgery in the United States, he said, without liquidating most of his assets. After five months of research and e-mail messages to doctors worldwide, he chose a heart surgeon here in Bangalore. "I'm over here for a fraction of what I would have paid in the United States," he said. "In my personal situation, I'm just delighted I took the road that I did."
Steele's Royal Suite, incidentally, is available to anyone, Indian or foreigner, who can pay for it. After his stay here, he would move to a room at a private club for 16 days of further recovery, before flying home. All told, he said it cost him about $20,000, a tenth of what he would have paid at a private American hospital.
Across town, among the hooch drinkers, a few of the worst cases had been transferred to private hospitals that had agreed to take them, at the government's expense.
Amin was too frail to be transferred. He died at Bowring, leaving behind a wife and two young children.
Notes:
Recommendation: "當達文西遇見華陀"
| 2004-09-14 02:40:23 | 人氣(48) |
當 達文西遇見華陀 ---神乎其技的手術機器人配合針刺麻醉進行心臟手術側記
莊振澤
2000 年11 月23日
電子科技進步日新月異，外科醫生為重症病患進行重大手術時在開刀房裡開胸剖腹之場面將不復再現。最先進的第三代手術機器人--達文西，日前在義大利巴維亞大學附屬的聖馬竇醫院為來自台灣的貴賓展示了一場神乎其技之精彩表演。
台灣輔仁大學醫學院暨耕莘醫院陸幼琴院長，偕同台東聖母醫院鄭雲院長，在梵諦岡出席國際醫學會議之後，經由中華民國駐教廷大使戴瑞明之安排，前來米蘭巴維亞大學聖馬竇醫院觀摩難得一見的機器人開刀手術。
這部最先進的手術機器人被命名為達文西，藉以紀念義大利文藝復興時期這位集建築、雕塑、繪畫、機械、水利工程、解剖醫學等傑出科學藝術成就於一身的不世出天才( Leonardo da Vinci , 1452 – 1519)。造價約四千萬台幣的達文西機器人目前全義大利僅此一部，它大約分為三部分： 手術台邊矗立著伸出三支複雜構造機械手臂的座台，一旁是上接監控Monitor的主控電腦，另有一座外觀看來好似電動遊戲機亦附有Monitor的操作台。
利用機器人開刀，避免了傳統開刀手術之開胸剖腹； 以心臟血管繞道(Bypass)手術為例，僅在左胸側穿刺三個小洞穴供機器人手臂伸入進行手術：中間洞穴插入探照燈及微型攝影機，以將手術操作過程完整呈現於Monitor。右洞穴插入手術刀，左洞穴則是夾鉗，就如同外科醫生的左右手般靈活操作。 ”主刀”的醫生則端坐在一旁的操作台，眼觀Monitor，手腳並用熟練操作，看起來就好比把玩電動遊戲機一般，實在神奇 !
除了避免開膛破肚，機器人開刀亦免除了繁複的血液體外循環設備，開刀房助手亦大大減少，確是好處多多 !
當天的Bypass心臟手術特別安排了針刺麻醉配合機器人開刀，中西醫學之頂尖技術合作無間，可謂是世紀創舉 !
中華醫學技術最精華之針刺麻醉術，其高度鎮痛效果能完全取代強烈的麻醉藥物，應用在大型而須長時間的外科手術中，能免去麻醉劑對人體免疫系統的抑制作用，手術後病體恢復極快。上述作Bypass手術病人只需三天即可出院。
這項手術負責針麻任務的潘賢義醫師來自台灣屏東，旅居義大利三十多年，目前任教於巴維亞大學醫學院外科研究所，是著名的器官移植與實驗外科權威，其參與的醫療團隊在心臟手術、肝臟自體移植手術方面居世界領導地位。
(莊振澤會長在潘賢義醫師指示下，亦獲准進入開刀房全程拍攝，留下珍貴的紀錄，可供日後教學觀摩之用。) 2000 年11 月23日
http://mypaper.pchome.com.tw/news/italy329/
2008年5月22日 星期四
EFTHA invites readers' interest to read the live address by Deemond Tutu in 61th World Health Assembly
EFTHA invites readers' interest to read the live address by Desmond Tutu in 61th World Health Assembly, in Geneva, May 20, 2008
http://video.who.int/streaming/wha61/wha61_desmond_tutu.wmv
http://video.who.int/streaming/wha61/wha61_desmond_tutu.wmv
2008年5月15日 星期四
Chinese earthquake exposes deep social divide
As death toll climbs, Chinese earthquake exposes deep social divide
By John Chan
15 May 2008
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/may2008/chin-m15.shtml
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The major earthquake that hit China’s Sichuan province on May 12 is a huge human tragedy. The official death toll is now almost 15,000 and is expected to rise. At least 26,000 people are believed to be buried in the debris and many of those may be dead. According to estimates from Premier Wen Jiabao’s working meeting yesterday, the affected area is 65,000 square kilometres, with 6 cities and 44 counties. Half the 20 million residents in the area have been directly affected by the earthquake.
Although Chinese troops and armed police have begun to reach the most isolated areas, including the town of Wenchuan at the epicentre, severe weather and damaged roads have prevented the transport of bulldozers and other heavy equipment. Wen has ordered parachute drops into the worst-affected counties and the deployment of 90 more helicopters. So far, the aid supplied by 20 helicopters has been insufficient. The number of soldiers mobilised has increased to 100,000. However, time is running out as soldiers and civilians use primitive tools and their bare hands to try to locate and extricate trapped victims.
TV footage has shown the flattened town of Yingxiu, which has been virtually wiped off the map. Rescuers found only 2,300 people alive—out of a population of 10,000. Half the survivors are seriously injured. Apart from the difficulties facing the rescue effort, tens of thousands of homeless people lack shelter and emergency supplies. Yesterday afternoon, the Mianyang city government ordered 700,000 residents to evacuate all buildings after warnings of a sizeable aftershock.
The Associated Press reported: “Homeless victims begged for aid on roadsides, and people settled in for a third night in a growing sprawl of refugee camps littered with garbage. In Hanwang, a town in one of the hardest-hit counties, survivors stood hoping for handouts from cars, jostling with each other to reach one vehicle where a passenger handed bottled water out the window.”
Hanwang Hospital, a seven-storey building, collapsed. The surviving medical staff set up in a tyre factory driveway to provide basic care. Zhao Xiaoli, a 25-year-old nurse, told the Associated Press: “I’m numb. The first day, hundreds of kids died when a school collapsed. The rest who came in had serious injuries. There was so little we could do for them.”
There has been an outpouring of sympathy throughout China and internationally, and offers of assistance for the earthquake victims. Ordinary working people in many Chinese cities have lined up to donate blood or money to assist the survivors.
Although the earthquake is a natural disaster, the extent of the destruction and death has exposed the monstrous reality of an irrational social order that puts private profit ahead of the safety and well being of people. Anger is mounting at the shoddy character of the buildings in the impoverished towns and villages and the stark inequality between rich and poor.
At least nine schools and two hospitals were flattened in Sichuan. The death of school children has focussed resentment on “tofu” buildings—substandard constructions that look good on the outside but are like soybean curd on the inside. Limited safety regulations are often subverted by corrupt collusion between developers and government officials. An online comment cited in the Los Angeles Times yesterday asked: “Why did so many schools collapse but all the government buildings were fine? It’s outrageous!”
Dr. Tian has been treating the injured from Juyuan Middle School in Dujiangyan city, where collapsed buildings buried 900 students. He told today’s Australian newspaper: “It’s nothing but corruption—they must have used substandard cement and steel...The morgue is full of children’s bodies. It’s hell on earth.”
A teacher who was lucky to escape explained: “The school has been sending requests, at least since 2000, to the local government asking for it to rebuild more safely, but it took no action.” Another staff member said: “They [the two main buildings] were constructed from prefabricated cement boards that were inserted between steel poles to create walls. They were very fragile compared with concrete walls made of cement poured on site.”
By contrast, major transnational and Chinese corporations operating in Sichuan have survived largely intact, except for mining operations and power supplies. Japanese plants in Chengdu, such as the Toyota auto factory and the Yamaha electronic components facility, have been shut for the safety concerns, but suffered little damage. US operations, including the Intel assembly plant, did the same. Wal-Mart closed three stores. Microsoft and Motorola reported minor damage. China’s largest rice cake manufacturer, Want Want China Holdings, shut seven plants, but none were damaged.
The presence of these well-known corporations in Sichuan demonstrates the growing penetration of foreign capital into China’s inland regions, although the investments are still relatively small compared to coastal regions. Building codes have been enforced to protect the property of large investors, while other constructions have been ignored.
William Gormley, a former China manager of the US-based aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, told the Los Angeles Times that when its joint venture was built in Chengdu in 1996, Chinese officials insisted that the size of the piers was doubled and the foundations dug deeper to meet the seismic codes. As a result, the factory withstood Monday’s earthquake. Gormley, who is still working in Chengdu as a business consultant, added that there were lots of “unregulated” buildings in Sichuan. “You don’t find out how many until a tragedy like this happens,” he said.
The Wall Street Journal yesterday contrasted the new high-rise buildings and office towers in Chengdu, equipped with anti-quake technology, with the flattened towns and villages. “Despite the recent growth of these outlying areas, the imbalance persists, as the rich get richer and the poor struggle to make ends meet. There is so little work in many of Sichuan’s rural areas that it is one of China’s biggest sources of migrant labour.”
The newspaper said the massive migration of rural labour into urban areas—15 million people every year—has created the world’s largest construction zone. China built 1.8 billion square metres of property in 2006 and another 4.1 billion square metres are under construction. Thousands of little-known towns and cities have sprouted up, but many buildings have been built cheaply and quickly, with little concern for safety. Construction in Sichuan ranked fifth among China’s provinces in 2006, with almost twice as much property completed as in Beijing.
Poor planning and corruption associated with frenzied, often speculative construction has had other consequences. The Chinese government is relieved that the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest, has no reported damage. However, according to the Ministry of Water Resources, 391 mainly small dams have suffered quake damage that could produce more disasters.
Some 2,000 troops have been sent to the two-year-old Zipingpu Dam in Sichuan, where cracks have appeared, threatening downstream communities, including the city of Dujiangyan. During a government meeting in 2000, seismologists opposed the plan to build the dam as it is close to a known fault line. However, as with other infrastructure projects, the overriding preoccupation of Chinese authorities was to rush to provide power for rapidly expanding industry.
The Chinese government has been attempting to present a humane image, appealing to the broadly felt shock and sympathy. Premier Wen has been at the heart of this carefully managed PR operation. He has toured the worst-hit areas and spoken of the need for a “united” effort behind the Communist Party leadership. He wept before the cameras. He slipped due to the rain on May 13, but stoically refused to be treated by medical staff. Authorities have even scaled back the Olympic torch relay inside China so as to not appear indifferent.
In the age of the Internet, the Chinese leaders are aware that the old methods of blanket censorship are not effective. A similar PR operation took place in February when anger threatened to erupt over the “snow havoc” that left millions of rail passengers stranded and many areas without power. Senior Politburo members were dispatched to all affected areas to make a show of concern. In the midst of the crisis, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Chinese leadership had employed a US public relations firm to provide top-level schooling in crisis management.
So far, the latest campaign appears to be working. The New York Times noted: “Commentary on Chinese Web sites and in chat rooms has been full of praise for the government’s emergency response. On Tianya, a popular forum where antigovernment postings sometimes find a home, users have been quick to shout down those who criticise Mr. Wen and the military’s delay in reaching some quake victims. ‘Those who can only do mouth work please shut up at this key moment,’ says one posting.”
The Beijing bureaucracy, however, is concerned that the mood could change if stories of incompetence, corruption and callous indifference for the suffering of victims begin to emerge. The propaganda bosses have issued an instruction to the state media to report developments “positively”. The massive deployment of troops is not just for rescue efforts, but to prevent any protests breaking out.
See Also:Death toll, economic consequences mount from China earthquake
[14 May 2008]
EFTHA Midday Express: Beijing says it will accept foreign aid and has agree to Taiwan help to China's victims
Page last updated at 14:44 GMT, Thursday, 15 May 2008 15:44 UK
China quake toll 'to top 50,000'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7402460.stm
More than 50,000 people may have died in the earthquake that devastated parts of China on Monday, state media say.
The warning came after the government confirmed the death toll had risen to 19,500, as rescue efforts continue to search for thousands still trapped.
About 10 million people across Sichuan province have been directly affected by the 7.9 quake, Chinese media said.
The country is sending 30,000 extra troops to Sichuan to help the 50,000 already involved in rescue efforts.
Beijing says it will accept foreign aid and has agreed to help from rescue teams from Japan and its rival Taiwan.
Rescue teams pull woman from rubble of collapsed building
Correspondents say the death toll, which rose from 14,866 on Wednesday, is expected to rise further as rescue workers dig more victims out of collapsed buildings.
People are still being found alive - an 11-year-old girl was pulled from the rubble of a school in Yingxiu 68 hours after it was destroyed.
Desperate search
The BBC's James Reynolds, in Hanwang, says rescuers and relatives of those trapped reject suggestions time has run out for finding survivors.
At Juyuan Middle School, near Dujiangyan about 50km (32 miles) from the epicentre, parents were trying to reach 900 children still trapped in the rubble.
"It's not that we don't trust the rescuers," local resident Deng Yuehong told Associated Press Television on Thursday.
See a detailed map of quake zone
In pictures: Quake recovery
Dams pose flooding risk
"They have done a lot of work to search for survivors but they couldn't search all the places in such a large area here and there may be some places that they ignored.
The Chinese government has appealed for basic equipment to help in the rescue operation. It said hammers, cranes, shovels and rubber boats were urgently needed.
The health ministry says there will also be an increasing demand for medicines and sophisticated medical equipment as survivors are treated for bone fractures, crushed internal organs and kidney failure.
More than 10,000 medical workers, police and volunteers have been sent to Beichuan County, one of the hardest-hit areas in Sichuan province, where up to 5,000 are thought to have died.
But there were suggestions that some of those trying to help bring relief were actually hindering the rescue effort, blocking roads to the worst-hit areas.
"Passionate but inexperienced volunteers have brought little food and their vehicles are blocking roads," the Chengdu chapter of the Young Communist League said in a statement read out on local TV.
Meanwhile 17 people were disciplined for allegedly spreading "malicious rumours" about the earthquake, two of whom were put in custody, AFP news agency quoted state media as saying.
Appeal
Deputy Health Minister Gao Qiang says more than 64,040 people have been treated since Monday's earthquake - 12,587 of them are seriously injured, Xinhua reports.
RECENT CHINA QUAKES
March, 2008: 7.2 quake in Xinjiang - damage limited
February 2003: 6.8 quake in Xinjiang - at least 94 dead, 200 hurt
January 1998: 6.2 quake in rural Hebei - at least 47 dead, 2,000 hurt
April 1997: 6.6 quake hits Xinjiang - 9 dead, 60 hurt
January 1997: 6.4 quake in Xinjiang - 50 dead, 40 hurt
Send us your comments
Life in tent city
How earthquakes happen
Officials say about 10 million people have been affected by the quake. Many are in refugee camps, without proper shelter, food or clean water.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has issued an emergency appeal for medical help, food, water and tents.
Gu Qinghui, a member of the Red Cross assessment team told AP television: "I just came back from Beichuan County this morning, basically the whole county has been destroyed, there is no Beichuan County anymore.
"No-one knows what has happened in particular areas, in the villages. I am sure that the numbers [death toll] will just go up continuing day by day."
China quake toll 'to top 50,000'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7402460.stm
More than 50,000 people may have died in the earthquake that devastated parts of China on Monday, state media say.
The warning came after the government confirmed the death toll had risen to 19,500, as rescue efforts continue to search for thousands still trapped.
About 10 million people across Sichuan province have been directly affected by the 7.9 quake, Chinese media said.
The country is sending 30,000 extra troops to Sichuan to help the 50,000 already involved in rescue efforts.
Beijing says it will accept foreign aid and has agreed to help from rescue teams from Japan and its rival Taiwan.
Rescue teams pull woman from rubble of collapsed building
Correspondents say the death toll, which rose from 14,866 on Wednesday, is expected to rise further as rescue workers dig more victims out of collapsed buildings.
People are still being found alive - an 11-year-old girl was pulled from the rubble of a school in Yingxiu 68 hours after it was destroyed.
Desperate search
The BBC's James Reynolds, in Hanwang, says rescuers and relatives of those trapped reject suggestions time has run out for finding survivors.
At Juyuan Middle School, near Dujiangyan about 50km (32 miles) from the epicentre, parents were trying to reach 900 children still trapped in the rubble.
"It's not that we don't trust the rescuers," local resident Deng Yuehong told Associated Press Television on Thursday.
See a detailed map of quake zone
In pictures: Quake recovery
Dams pose flooding risk
"They have done a lot of work to search for survivors but they couldn't search all the places in such a large area here and there may be some places that they ignored.
The Chinese government has appealed for basic equipment to help in the rescue operation. It said hammers, cranes, shovels and rubber boats were urgently needed.
The health ministry says there will also be an increasing demand for medicines and sophisticated medical equipment as survivors are treated for bone fractures, crushed internal organs and kidney failure.
More than 10,000 medical workers, police and volunteers have been sent to Beichuan County, one of the hardest-hit areas in Sichuan province, where up to 5,000 are thought to have died.
But there were suggestions that some of those trying to help bring relief were actually hindering the rescue effort, blocking roads to the worst-hit areas.
"Passionate but inexperienced volunteers have brought little food and their vehicles are blocking roads," the Chengdu chapter of the Young Communist League said in a statement read out on local TV.
Meanwhile 17 people were disciplined for allegedly spreading "malicious rumours" about the earthquake, two of whom were put in custody, AFP news agency quoted state media as saying.
Appeal
Deputy Health Minister Gao Qiang says more than 64,040 people have been treated since Monday's earthquake - 12,587 of them are seriously injured, Xinhua reports.
RECENT CHINA QUAKES
March, 2008: 7.2 quake in Xinjiang - damage limited
February 2003: 6.8 quake in Xinjiang - at least 94 dead, 200 hurt
January 1998: 6.2 quake in rural Hebei - at least 47 dead, 2,000 hurt
April 1997: 6.6 quake hits Xinjiang - 9 dead, 60 hurt
January 1997: 6.4 quake in Xinjiang - 50 dead, 40 hurt
Send us your comments
Life in tent city
How earthquakes happen
Officials say about 10 million people have been affected by the quake. Many are in refugee camps, without proper shelter, food or clean water.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has issued an emergency appeal for medical help, food, water and tents.
Gu Qinghui, a member of the Red Cross assessment team told AP television: "I just came back from Beichuan County this morning, basically the whole county has been destroyed, there is no Beichuan County anymore.
"No-one knows what has happened in particular areas, in the villages. I am sure that the numbers [death toll] will just go up continuing day by day."
EFTHA concerns about the death and injuries in China from earthquake
The EFTHA is very much concerned about the death tolls and tens thousands of injured and homelessness in the aftermath of recent earthquake in China.
The EFTHA is extremely sympathetic to the situation on Chinese people in the rampaged region. EFTHA also witnesses immediately massive donation in medicines, foods, and goods from Taiwanese people in the last few days to China, and EFTHA supports the good wills of the Taiwanese to the Chinese suffering from this casualty. This reflects what had happened to Taiwan in 1999 for a detrimental earthquake in Nan-tou, which killed more than 2,000 citizens and students, while China blocked the international aids to Taiwan by all her means.
However, while Taiwanese are doing all they can to help China in recovering from the earthquake, EFTHA urges China's government be realistic and share their humanitarian concerns on the health rights, the rights to access better health care, and the rights to access to the World Health Organization and the global health network for all people in Taiwan.
It will be amazed to all to see that, while Taiwanese are doing as much as they could to help China, China's government might still make all the efforts to kill or eliminate the basic rights of Taiwanese to join the WHO in the coming week in Geneva.
Please write to EFTHA to express your concern and comments. ***
The EFTHA is extremely sympathetic to the situation on Chinese people in the rampaged region. EFTHA also witnesses immediately massive donation in medicines, foods, and goods from Taiwanese people in the last few days to China, and EFTHA supports the good wills of the Taiwanese to the Chinese suffering from this casualty. This reflects what had happened to Taiwan in 1999 for a detrimental earthquake in Nan-tou, which killed more than 2,000 citizens and students, while China blocked the international aids to Taiwan by all her means.
However, while Taiwanese are doing all they can to help China in recovering from the earthquake, EFTHA urges China's government be realistic and share their humanitarian concerns on the health rights, the rights to access better health care, and the rights to access to the World Health Organization and the global health network for all people in Taiwan.
It will be amazed to all to see that, while Taiwanese are doing as much as they could to help China, China's government might still make all the efforts to kill or eliminate the basic rights of Taiwanese to join the WHO in the coming week in Geneva.
Please write to EFTHA to express your concern and comments. ***
2008年5月14日 星期三
EFTHA recognizes the Early Day Motion by UK Parliament
EDM 1415
TAIWAN'S PARTICIPATION IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION
23.04.2008
Winterton, Nicholas
33 signatures
Anderson, Janet
Bottomley, Peter
Breed, Colin
Clarke, Kenneth
Conway, Derek
Cook, Frank
Corbyn, Jeremy
Curtis-Thomas, Claire
Davies, Philip
Dean, Janet
Dodds, Nigel
Donohoe, Brian H
Dowd, Jim
Evans, Nigel
Hamilton, David
Hancock, Mike
Harvey, Nick
Hemming, John
Holmes, Paul
Horam, John
Jenkins, Brian
Kumar, Ashok
Laxton, Bob
McCafferty, Chris
Pugh, John
Robinson, Iris
Rosindell, Andrew
Spink, Bob
Viggers, Peter
Vis, Rudi
Williams, Betty
Winterton, Ann
That this House regrets that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has opposed including Taiwan's participation as an observer to the World Health Assembly (WHA) on its agenda since 1997; notes that the 61st WHA will convene between 19th and 24th May 2008; recognises that disease knows no boundaries or politics and there should be no gap or weak spot in the world's disease prevention network; contends that Taiwan should not become the only gap in the global public health network; applauds Taiwan's strong desire to work with international health institutions through medical co-operation and emergency humanitarian work; further applauds the valuable medical assistance and humanitarian aid provided by Taiwan's public and private sectors worldwide exceeding US$450 million over the last decade; further notes that Palestine, the Holy See, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the International Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union have been granted observer status to the WHA; regrets that the Government has not supported Taiwan's WHA observer status or WHO membership; welcomes the fact that Taiwan would be willing to accept an arrangement to be a WHA observer so as to engage in direct access to and communication with the WHO before attaining WHO membership; strongly encourages the UK Government to support Taiwan's justifiable bids for WHO membership and preliminary WHA observer status; and urges the WHO Director-General to invite Taiwan as a WHA observer before granting WHO membership to ensure no gap in the global public health network.
2008年5月4日 星期日
歐台醫事聯盟抗議台未獲通報中國腸病毒疫情[中央社]
歐台醫事聯盟抗議台未獲通報中國腸病毒疫情 【19:50】
〈中央社記者黃礦春羅馬四日專電）歐洲台灣醫事聯盟三日致函世界衛
歐洲台灣醫事聯盟在信函中指出，過去十年來在東南亞及西太平洋地區
中國一直到現在才與世衛組織及其他有關國家合作，但進展還是很慢
更有甚者，當此一波腸病毒疫情於三月下旬在中國爆發之後
歐洲台灣醫事聯盟在信中並對腸病毒可能影響今年八月北京奧運會表示
歐洲台灣醫事聯盟期盼世衛組織與中國政府尊重全人類共享健康的原則
歐洲台灣醫事聯盟是由在歐洲從事醫事相關工作的台灣人
聯盟目前有會員三百多人，分別在德國、英國、法國、義大利、瑞士
2008年5月3日 星期六
EFTHA submits a question to the Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development, UK
Moderator says: Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development, will take part in a live webchat in Downing Street on Wednesday 7 May at 13:00 BST.
The webchat will take place in the same week as the launch of the Business Call to Action, an initiative aimed at bringing the private sector on board to boost economic development
==============
Dear Secretary Douglas,
After many years in establishing and strengthening health care services to the northern Mzuzu province in Malawi, Taiwan's Pingdong Christian Medical Mission was called in early February to suspend health service to the impoverished 2M people in Malawi, including leaving more than 7,000 HIV patients who were under the anti-retroviral treatment by the Taiwan medical mission since 2000. China was to establish the diplomatic tie with Malawi and depart Taiwan’s doctors. UK has been a close allay of Malawi, and offered strong support for health care program there. Can UK government continue the medical program in Mzuzu, which has not been possible by China’s diplomats there. Donald Luchen, MD, EFTHA, London
The webchat will take place in the same week as the launch of the Business Call to Action, an initiative aimed at bringing the private sector on board to boost economic development
==============
Dear Secretary Douglas,
After many years in establishing and strengthening health care services to the northern Mzuzu province in Malawi, Taiwan's Pingdong Christian Medical Mission was called in early February to suspend health service to the impoverished 2M people in Malawi, including leaving more than 7,000 HIV patients who were under the anti-retroviral treatment by the Taiwan medical mission since 2000. China was to establish the diplomatic tie with Malawi and depart Taiwan’s doctors. UK has been a close allay of Malawi, and offered strong support for health care program there. Can UK government continue the medical program in Mzuzu, which has not been possible by China’s diplomats there. Donald Luchen, MD, EFTHA, London
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EFTHA's letter to the WHO to corrent its wrong message
Dear Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan
The World Health Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
The WHO carried a press release at May 1st, 2008, regarding the outbreak of Enterovirus 71 in some of China's provinces. There have been more than 20 children died of this new outbreak, and many thousands people admitted to the hospitals.
There had been several EV71 outbreaks occurred in south east Asia and western pacific regions in the past decade. WHO and China failed to recognize this diseases continuously, and the outbreaks in Malaysia and Taiwan rendered hundreds of death in those less than 15 years old, respectively, in 1997 and 1998.
Until now, China started to corporate with WHO and others responsible countries, but the progress is too slow and inadequate, even in this Olympic year. We do not wish to see more death and illnesses in coming August.
Moreover, WHO did not send such important disease information to Taiwan, to the health care professionals, as well as Taiwan's health authority timely in late March, when the outbreaks already occurred in China. Nor did the health authority in China. The press carried by WHO was a mistake and irresponsible one that lied on China to inform Taiwan for such urgency for health care.
The EFTHA wishes WHO and China's government respect the principle of health for all, and health rights (to know) as one of the fundamental human rights, to interact and corporate with Taiwan's health professionals and health authority timely in this emergency.
May 3rd, 2008
Ref: http://www.who.int/csr/don/2008_05_01/en/index.html
The World Health Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
The WHO carried a press release at May 1st, 2008, regarding the outbreak of Enterovirus 71 in some of China's provinces. There have been more than 20 children died of this new outbreak, and many thousands people admitted to the hospitals.
There had been several EV71 outbreaks occurred in south east Asia and western pacific regions in the past decade. WHO and China failed to recognize this diseases continuously, and the outbreaks in Malaysia and Taiwan rendered hundreds of death in those less than 15 years old, respectively, in 1997 and 1998.
Until now, China started to corporate with WHO and others responsible countries, but the progress is too slow and inadequate, even in this Olympic year. We do not wish to see more death and illnesses in coming August.
Moreover, WHO did not send such important disease information to Taiwan, to the health care professionals, as well as Taiwan's health authority timely in late March, when the outbreaks already occurred in China. Nor did the health authority in China. The press carried by WHO was a mistake and irresponsible one that lied on China to inform Taiwan for such urgency for health care.
The EFTHA wishes WHO and China's government respect the principle of health for all, and health rights (to know) as one of the fundamental human rights, to interact and corporate with Taiwan's health professionals and health authority timely in this emergency.
May 3rd, 2008
Ref: http://www.who.int/csr/don/2008_05_01/en/index.html
2008年4月30日 星期三
Taiwan must be in Global Disease Prevention Network
Taiwan must be in Global Disease Prevention NetworkAuthor: DR. SHENG-MOU HOU28 April 2008 - Issue : 779
Releated Stories
Taiwan must be in Global Disease Prevention Network
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/85781.php
The World Health Report 2007 – A Safer Future: Global Public Health Security in the 21st Century, issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), elucidates the importance of cooperation and information sharing among countries in the fight against disease. It emphasises that more resources are required to establish a seamless global disease prevention network. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan stresses in her message published in the report that “international public health security is both a collective aspiration and a mutual responsibility … The new watchwords are diplomacy, cooperation, transparency, and preparedness.”We highly approve of the importance the WHO attaches to health security because as one of the main victims of the 2003 SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic, Taiwan had to learn firsthand that once a gap appears in the health security system, epidemics can spread with alarming rapidity and seriously impact the global economy and trade. Given today’s high level of social mobility, maintaining international health security has become more urgent than ever and requires close cooperation between all countries. There is no space for loopholes or lack of transparency in the disease reporting system. Situated in the West Pacific, Taiwan plays a vital role in disease prevention. Every winter, nearly 1.25 million migratory birds of 351 species fly from Siberia and China to Taiwan, either to stay for the winter or to continue on to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, or Australia. In the event of an outbreak of a lethal strain of bird flu that is highly communicable between human beings, the exclusion of Taiwan’s 23 million people from the WHO could make it extremely difficult for the global health network to control the international spread of the disease.Taiwan’s determination to participate in the global health network and the sincerity of its motives have been made abundantly clear to the international community. On its own initiative, it began implementing the revised International Health Regulations (2005) one year before they came into force in 2007, and has now completed all necessary preparations mandated by the regulations. Taiwan continues to be excluded from the IHR (2005) notifiable disease reporting system, however, and is thus unable to immediately access information on disease outbreaks in other parts of the world or report local outbreaks to the WHO. Regrettably, the WHO Secretariat and China signed a secret memorandum of understanding in 2005, stipulating that the WHO must receive clearance from Beijing before engaging in any interaction with Taiwan. Undeniably, this agreement seriously hampers disease prevention efforts and violates the rights of Taiwan’s people. Following the shigellosis outbreak in Denmark associated with baby corn exports from Thailand in September 2007, for example, the WHO conveyed the news to China, but it took China 10 days to notify Taiwan about this health threat. We were lucky this time round: Our Department of Health confirmed that none of the affected corn had been imported. Though infection by the Shigella bacterium is seldom life-threatening in adults, this example underlines the risk incurred by leaving Taiwan out of the global health network. Since Taiwan is a sovereign and independent nation, its public health system differs entirely from that of China. If an epidemic broke out in Taiwan, China could not replace Taiwan in monitoring it and providing assessments and reports to the WHO.Such events and considerations demonstrate that the dependence of Taiwan and the WHO on China as a go-between for the transmission of epidemiological information inevitably creates a serious gap in the global disease prevention network. They underscore the necessity and urgency of establishing a direct communication channel between Taiwan and the WHO. The first Director-General of the WHO, Brock Chisholm, was right when he said, “We cannot afford to have gaps in the fence against diseases, and any country, no matter what its political attitudes or affiliations are, can be a serious detriment to the effectiveness of the WHO if it is left outside. It is important that health should be regarded as a worldwide question, quite independent of political attitudes in any country in the world.” In this era of globalisation, the risk to human health and the consequences of the responses we make have long since expanded beyond the boundaries of individual sovereign countries and become issues that must be handled within the framework of a global governance regime. No country can be excluded.Taiwan is doing everything in its power to engage in constructive cooperation and fulfill its responsibility so that global health security can be guaranteed. Can the same be said of the WHO?
Releated Stories
Taiwan must be in Global Disease Prevention Network
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/85781.php
The World Health Report 2007 – A Safer Future: Global Public Health Security in the 21st Century, issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), elucidates the importance of cooperation and information sharing among countries in the fight against disease. It emphasises that more resources are required to establish a seamless global disease prevention network. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan stresses in her message published in the report that “international public health security is both a collective aspiration and a mutual responsibility … The new watchwords are diplomacy, cooperation, transparency, and preparedness.”We highly approve of the importance the WHO attaches to health security because as one of the main victims of the 2003 SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic, Taiwan had to learn firsthand that once a gap appears in the health security system, epidemics can spread with alarming rapidity and seriously impact the global economy and trade. Given today’s high level of social mobility, maintaining international health security has become more urgent than ever and requires close cooperation between all countries. There is no space for loopholes or lack of transparency in the disease reporting system. Situated in the West Pacific, Taiwan plays a vital role in disease prevention. Every winter, nearly 1.25 million migratory birds of 351 species fly from Siberia and China to Taiwan, either to stay for the winter or to continue on to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, or Australia. In the event of an outbreak of a lethal strain of bird flu that is highly communicable between human beings, the exclusion of Taiwan’s 23 million people from the WHO could make it extremely difficult for the global health network to control the international spread of the disease.Taiwan’s determination to participate in the global health network and the sincerity of its motives have been made abundantly clear to the international community. On its own initiative, it began implementing the revised International Health Regulations (2005) one year before they came into force in 2007, and has now completed all necessary preparations mandated by the regulations. Taiwan continues to be excluded from the IHR (2005) notifiable disease reporting system, however, and is thus unable to immediately access information on disease outbreaks in other parts of the world or report local outbreaks to the WHO. Regrettably, the WHO Secretariat and China signed a secret memorandum of understanding in 2005, stipulating that the WHO must receive clearance from Beijing before engaging in any interaction with Taiwan. Undeniably, this agreement seriously hampers disease prevention efforts and violates the rights of Taiwan’s people. Following the shigellosis outbreak in Denmark associated with baby corn exports from Thailand in September 2007, for example, the WHO conveyed the news to China, but it took China 10 days to notify Taiwan about this health threat. We were lucky this time round: Our Department of Health confirmed that none of the affected corn had been imported. Though infection by the Shigella bacterium is seldom life-threatening in adults, this example underlines the risk incurred by leaving Taiwan out of the global health network. Since Taiwan is a sovereign and independent nation, its public health system differs entirely from that of China. If an epidemic broke out in Taiwan, China could not replace Taiwan in monitoring it and providing assessments and reports to the WHO.Such events and considerations demonstrate that the dependence of Taiwan and the WHO on China as a go-between for the transmission of epidemiological information inevitably creates a serious gap in the global disease prevention network. They underscore the necessity and urgency of establishing a direct communication channel between Taiwan and the WHO. The first Director-General of the WHO, Brock Chisholm, was right when he said, “We cannot afford to have gaps in the fence against diseases, and any country, no matter what its political attitudes or affiliations are, can be a serious detriment to the effectiveness of the WHO if it is left outside. It is important that health should be regarded as a worldwide question, quite independent of political attitudes in any country in the world.” In this era of globalisation, the risk to human health and the consequences of the responses we make have long since expanded beyond the boundaries of individual sovereign countries and become issues that must be handled within the framework of a global governance regime. No country can be excluded.Taiwan is doing everything in its power to engage in constructive cooperation and fulfill its responsibility so that global health security can be guaranteed. Can the same be said of the WHO?
2008年4月28日 星期一
推銷台灣走出未來! EFTHA加入紀政參加比利時國際健行
走出台灣未來 紀政參加比利時國際健行
2008/04/26 22:06:55
（中央社記者唐秉鈞布魯塞爾二十六日專電）推動健行 活動不遺餘力的台灣希望基金會董事長紀政，今天起參 加在比利時布蘭肯柏市舉辦兩天的國際健行活動，希望籍由參與這項活動，推銷台灣並走出台灣的未來。
應邀專程前來參加這項活動的紀政表示，推銷台灣 走向國際並非祗是政府的工作，經由民間積極參與包括 健行在內等國際活動，更能發揮力量。
她說，參加國際健行活動的人士，經常在世界各地健行，透過他們對台灣的認識，再將台灣推銷出去，可 以獲得很大的助力。
據主辦單位表示，今年就有來自二十二個國家的四 千人參加布蘭肯柏市舉行的國際健行活動。
為推銷台灣，紀政今天也在健行活動起點設置的台 灣攤位前，介紹台灣的各項發展與推展健行活動的成就 。攤位並提供行政院衛生署捐贈的計步器，以及新聞局捐贈有關加入世界衛生組織訴求的T恤與其它紀念品。
在主辦單位邀請下，曾獲墨西哥奧運女子八十公尺 低欄銅牌的紀政，與布蘭肯柏市長孟舍並共同宣佈兩天 的健行活動開始。中華民國駐歐盟兼駐比利時代表處代表高英茂在活動開始前應邀致詞時，也感謝主辦單位邀 請台灣參與活動的友誼與盛情。
除紀政外，另有五名台灣健行達人、兩名來自義大 利的僑胞、六十多位代表處官員及眷屬與旅比僑胞也參 加了這項活動。紀政與五名達人今天並將沿大會安排的路程，與不同國家民眾一起健行二十二公里，推銷台灣 。
位於比利時西北部海岸的布蘭肯柏市今年是舉行第 三十九屆國際健行活動，明年並有意邀請台灣擔任這項 活動的主題國。紀政表示，她正計劃向主辦單位提出台灣烏來鄉與布蘭肯柏市締結姐妹關係的構想。970426
（中央社記者唐秉鈞布魯塞爾二十六日專電）推動健行 活動不遺餘力的台灣希望基金會董事長紀政，今天起參 加在比利時布蘭肯柏市舉辦兩天的國際健行活動，希望籍由參與這項活動，推銷台灣並走出台灣的未來。
應邀專程前來參加這項活動的紀政表示，推銷台灣 走向國際並非祗是政府的工作，經由民間積極參與包括 健行在內等國際活動，更能發揮力量。
她說，參加國際健行活動的人士，經常在世界各地健行，透過他們對台灣的認識，再將台灣推銷出去，可 以獲得很大的助力。
據主辦單位表示，今年就有來自二十二個國家的四 千人參加布蘭肯柏市舉行的國際健行活動。
為推銷台灣，紀政今天也在健行活動起點設置的台 灣攤位前，介紹台灣的各項發展與推展健行活動的成就 。攤位並提供行政院衛生署捐贈的計步器，以及新聞局捐贈有關加入世界衛生組織訴求的T恤與其它紀念品。
在主辦單位邀請下，曾獲墨西哥奧運女子八十公尺 低欄銅牌的紀政，與布蘭肯柏市長孟舍並共同宣佈兩天 的健行活動開始。中華民國駐歐盟兼駐比利時代表處代表高英茂在活動開始前應邀致詞時，也感謝主辦單位邀 請台灣參與活動的友誼與盛情。
除紀政外，另有五名台灣健行達人、兩名來自義大 利的僑胞、六十多位代表處官員及眷屬與旅比僑胞也參 加了這項活動。紀政與五名達人今天並將沿大會安排的路程，與不同國家民眾一起健行二十二公里，推銷台灣 。
位於比利時西北部海岸的布蘭肯柏市今年是舉行第 三十九屆國際健行活動，明年並有意邀請台灣擔任這項 活動的主題國。紀政表示，她正計劃向主辦單位提出台灣烏來鄉與布蘭肯柏市締結姐妹關係的構想。970426
2008年4月27日 星期日
推薦必觀賞的加入WHO影片
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=ScK4UXC10D8
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=IzGOz5H4sJU&feature=related
歡迎 EFTHA 加入國際醫療合作
國際間政府發展援助可追溯自1947年，美國國務卿馬歇爾（George C. Marshall）提出以120億美元協助第二次大戰後歐洲重建復原，此即為著名的「馬歇爾計畫」，亦為國際援助的濫觴。政府發展援助經過半世紀的發展， 隨著國際政治局勢變化及全球經濟發展，援助項目已由原先較偏重經濟發展的層面，逐漸轉型為涵蓋政治、經濟、醫療及社會等全面性的援助範疇，「國際援助」的 概念也漸轉型為「國際合作」。
在國際衛生醫療援助方面，主要啟始於1946年的「美國關懷協會」(CARE U.S.A.)，並配合「聯合國組織」（UN Agencies）、「世界衛生組織」 (WHO)及「國際紅十字會」(International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC)等共同展開國際衛生醫療合作計畫，並針對瘧疾、肺結核、性病等防治及改善婦幼健康、營養和環境衛生而努力。隨著地球村概念的形成及永續發展理念 的注重，近年來，國際衛生醫療合作逐漸成為全球化所關注的重要議題，國際間許多雙邊或多邊的援助機構，亦將醫療列為對開發中國家的主要的援助項目之一，期 望低度開發國家的衛生與健康能永續發展。
自1990年以來，聯合國開發總署(UNDP)也逐年在全球的「人類發展報告」中發布人類發展指數，該指數以預期壽命、受教育水準及經濟發展水準，做為人 類發展的評價準則。《2005年的人類發展報告》中指出，在非洲尚比亞如果沒有國際醫療援助的投入，用於醫療的開支將從每人平均8美元降至3美元，此將對 愛茲病防治及其他公共衛生疾病防治帶來嚴重的威脅。而在剛出爐的《2006年人類發展報告》中也指出，全球高達11億人沒有安全潔淨飲用水，有26億人缺 乏適當的衛生設施，每年約有180萬兒童死於腹瀉，平均每15秒會有一名兒童因不清潔飲水及衛生設施而死亡。不清潔飲水造成的死亡人數遠超過愛滋病和瘧 疾，聯合國於是要求各援助國應以改善衛生環境及健全醫療體制作為未來對開發中國家援助的首要目標。
為使國際間的援助資源更有效的運用，聯合國在2000年制定了千禧年發展8大目標，其中直接或間接與衛生醫療相關的目標包括：
◆降低嬰幼兒死亡率：期望在2015年之前，未滿五歲的嬰幼兒死亡率減少三分之二。在撒哈拉沙漠以南的非洲地區，每年有近半數的幼童 在未滿五歲前即夭折，其主要是因為衛生體系不完善、戰爭衝突以及肺炎、痢疾、瘧疾、麻疹、愛滋病等所導致。聯合國呼籲，只要採取簡單且花費不多的防治方法 就能有效降低兒童死亡率，諸如攝取充足的營養、完善的母職教育、廣泛的防疫措施、立即的藥物治療等。
◆改善孕產婦健康：在2015年之前，讓孕、產婦的死亡率降低四分之三。目前每年有近50萬的婦女於懷孕或是生產期間不幸死亡，另有 近1000萬的婦女因為沒有得到良好的生育保健，而造成終身的疾病或傷害。舉例而言，撒哈拉沙漠以南的非洲地區每16位產婦就有1位死於生產時，而已開發 國家每3800位才有1位產婦死於生產過程。因此要有效降低產婦死亡率，關鍵在於為孕、產婦提供完善的家庭計畫服務、醫療照護以及危急時刻的生產照護設 備。
◆防止HIV/AIDS、瘧疾與其他疾病的蔓延：在2015年之前，阻止並減少愛滋病、瘧疾及其他主要疾病的發生與漫延。愛滋病是撒 哈拉沙漠以南的非洲地區未成年人死亡的主因，同時也是全世界第四大死因。截至2004年為止，估計有3千9百萬人感染愛滋病。愛滋病的肆虐除了帶來大量的 死亡人口外，更嚴重阻礙開發中國家的發展。此外，開發中國家也受到瘧疾與肺結核的侵襲，每年造成近百萬人的死亡，但事實上，上述的三種疾病可以透過教育、 防治、醫療以及照護來有效克服。
◆確保環境永續發展的可能性：在2015年之前，讓無法持續獲得安全飲用水的人口降低到一半。發展中國家使用安全飲用水的人口比例由 1990年的71%上昇至2002年的79%，其中又以南亞地區的進展最為顯著。然而截至2002年為止，仍有超過11億人口的飲用水未受到安全保障，尤 其以撒哈拉沙漠以南的非洲地區為甚，有近42%的人沒有乾淨的飲用水可用。因此改善飲用水與基本衛生設施是開發中國家最迫切的需要，其關鍵做法在於增加衛 生服務的投資。
「千禧年發展目標」係一個長期推動的過程，特別是與醫療衛生有關的議題，需國際社會投注大量的人力、物力及財力並有效管理與應用，才能達到2015年所設定之目標。
近年來，不論是政府部門、國際救援組織或人道救援團體為因應天災、戰亂或針對開發中國家長期面臨的貧病現象，所發起的醫療救援行動正風起雲湧。從聞 名國際的無疆界醫生組織、美慈組織、國際關懷組織、國際奧比斯到國內如外交部、衛生署、國際合作發展基金會、私立醫療院所協會、TaiwanIHA、中華 救助總會、台灣紅十字會、羅惠夫基金會、慈濟、路竹會及台灣國際醫療行動協會（iACT）等等，均積極投入國際醫療援助及公共衛生改善的行列，足見國際醫 療援助非僅是基於人道普世價值的義行，更是當前國際援外趨勢的主流。
回顧台灣的醫療援外史，始於1962年首次派遣6名軍醫赴利比亞協助該國改進醫療及軍醫組織，目前仍於布吉納法索、聖多美普林西比及馬拉威等國均派 有常駐醫療團。四十多年來，台灣在非洲地區默默協助友邦改善醫療及公共衛生條件，嘉惠無數當地貧病百姓，已深獲國際社會及友好邦交國家的肯定與支持。
國合會是台灣專責的援外機構，並配合我外交政策推動國際合作業務，在國際醫療援助方面，國合會也是秉持著千禧年發展目標擬定一套完整的醫療援外策略 與方法，包含派遣常駐醫療團或衛生醫療顧問執行醫療服務計畫、推動高機動性之「行動醫療團」執行巡迴診療與臨床教學訓練、結合國內專業醫療院所或國際組織 建立策略聯盟、培訓受援國的衛生醫護人員提高專業能力、捐贈必要之醫療藥品、儀器與衛材以達功能提昇目的、及與國內外非政府組織或醫療專業機構合作提供即 時之人道救援等。
台灣由於國際地位特殊致國際空間受到嚴重壓迫，雖然台灣的醫療技術與專業遠在國際水準之上，推動國際醫療援助也有四十餘年之經驗，然仍被拒於國際衛 生組織之門外。國合會今後仍將持續扮演輸出台灣醫療經驗之最佳平台，結合國內外非政府組織與醫療機構之專業、資源及國際網絡，積極推動國際醫療援助業務， 擴展國際醫療產業、發掘醫療商機，並藉由國際醫療合作蒐集當地疾病情資，建立疾病系統資料庫，鼓勵國內專業醫護人員參與國際醫療服務，培養醫療援外專才。 未來亦將配合我國積極爭取加入世界衛生組織的政策，大幅提升醫療援助比重，讓世界上有醫療需求的地方就有台灣的人道醫療援助。未來我們要向國際社會彰顯的 不僅是台灣人民的愛心與善行，也要讓國際社會認知到台灣長久以來對國際社會的醫療援助貢獻；更要讓國際社會瞭解，今日的台灣是世界衛生組織體系不可或缺的 一員。
◆隨著地球村概念的形成，近年來，國際衛生醫療合作逐漸成為全球化所關注的重要議題。
◆糧食不足與缺乏營養，也是造成兒童死亡的原因之一。
◆在薩哈拉沙漠以南的非洲地區，每年有近半數的幼童在未滿5歲前即夭折。
◆降低落後地區的產婦死亡率， 關鍵在於為孕、產婦提供完善的家庭計畫服務與健全的醫療照護。
◆國際醫療援助不僅是基於人道普世價值的義行，更是當前國際援外趨勢的主流。
EFTHA joins Be WHO! Taiwan (2003/05)
[自由時報] 南北萬人齊步走 爭取入世衛
自由時報 2007.05.13. 記者胡清暉、方志賢／台北、高縣連線報導
台灣國際醫衛行動團隊（Taiwan IHA）、九個民間社團，昨同步在台北、高雄發起「台灣在WHO，我在乎！（Be WHO! TAIWAN）」健走活動，南北逾萬人開步走，向世界展現台灣加入世界衛生組織（WHO）決心。
參與的民眾換上主辦單位準備的黑底紅白字Ｔ恤，有青少年更把「WHO+TAIWAN」、「Be WHO! TAIWAN」字樣的紋身貼紙印在臉上、手上，為台灣加入WHO加油。
十多名日本觀光客昨天上午到澄清湖旅遊，看到大批人潮聚集連署，好奇詢問，聽到民眾高喊「Be WHO! Taiwan」，這群日本友人也熱情加入聲援。
不當國際衛生孤兒
李明亮指出，SARS期間，台灣被摒棄在WHO之外，成為國際衛生的孤兒，孤軍奮戰，因此台灣要加入WHO刻不容緩。
楊秋興表示，SARS及禽流感等疫病的跨國蔓延，國際社會充分意識到醫療衛生無國界；透過健走活動，就是希望以健康、理性的方式，提醒全球正視台灣面臨著無法加入國際醫療體系的不合理處境。
美衛生部長挺台 致函世衛幹事長
駐美特派員曹郁芬、駐歐洲特派記者胡蕙寧、特派記者王平宇／綜合報導
駐美代表吳釗燮於美東時間十一日（台灣時間十二日）表示，美國衛生部長李維特已致函世界衛生組織幹事長陳馮富珍，支持台灣成為世衛大會（WHA）觀察員，但是否會在世衛大會發言支持台灣仍有變數。
美國國會也兵分兩路採取行動。由參院台灣連線主席羅特領銜的七位參議員聯名致函陳馮富珍，要求她遊說會員國支持台灣成為世衛大會的完全會員；眾議院有二十六位議員聯名致函歐盟主席巴羅索，希望歐盟比照美日，支持台灣成為世衛觀察員。
吳釗燮在雙橡園與媒體茶敘時，透露駐美代表處已為即將召開的世衛大會全力動員。吳釗燮說，美國支持台灣成為世衛大會觀察員，並有意義參與技術性會議的立場 沒有改變，且李維特已在台灣方面要求下致函給陳馮富珍。但台灣並沒有要求美方今年在大會上發言支持我們，美方屆時是否會說話，要由日內瓦方面掌握。
此外，歐洲各界支持台灣加入世衛組織的聲浪也逐漸提高，除波蘭第一大報「選舉日報」刊出專文，呼籲各界支持台灣外，比利時眾議院通過決議，促請WHO比照WTO模式解決台灣參與案。
比利時醫事工會聯盟會則參與「台灣新聞記者協會」發起的「前進WHA，爭取台灣記者採訪權」連署，支持台灣記者爭取採訪世衛大會的新聞權。
日內瓦媒體組織「新聞標誌運動（PEC）」主席納比則呼籲聯合國歐洲總部，尋求台灣記者採訪世衛大會的解決方案。
封殺中華民國、台灣用語 封殺中華民國、台灣用語
駐美特派員曹郁芬／華府十一日報導
根據世衛組織與中國簽署的一份秘密備忘錄，世衛在與台灣專家通信時，不但不能用「中華民國」或「台灣」，且世衛邀台灣專家與會時要儘量使用電報，以免郵件邀請函寄到台灣產生「國家」的意涵。
駐美代表吳釗燮與華府媒體茶敘時表示，世衛組織與中國於二○○五年簽署這份備忘錄，他最近透過國安會拿到施行細則，備忘錄內容至今還是秘密。
吳釗燮說，由施行細則可看出過去台灣以自我否定主權的方式，仍不能成功參與世衛，如今台灣提出以國家名義申請成為會員，本身就具意義。
根據這份長達六頁的備忘錄施行細則，可看出中國處心積慮防堵世衛與台灣接觸時，有任何承認台灣是一個國家的舉措。中國要求世衛邀請台灣專家時，要用一份中 國核可的公式化邀請函，邀請時不能提到「中華民國」或「台灣」，但若稱「台灣，中國」（Taiwan, China）可能讓台灣專家止步，所以邀請函地址只用地名，不可有任何國家的暗示，且要盡量用電報。
曹女士走過SARS 力爭台灣衛生醫療人權
自由時報 2007.05.13. 特派記者王平宇／日內瓦報導
走過二○○三年SARS風暴，倖存者曹女士昨在日內瓦控訴世界衛生組織（WHO）罔顧台灣的衛生醫療人權。這是她康復後首度出國，但事隔四年，她仍需戴氧氣罩才能克服長途飛行。
歐洲台灣醫師會會長李宏耀表示，SARS雖已逐漸被淡忘，但對病患的傷害卻是終生的。更嚴重的是，台灣依舊被拒絕於WHO之外，如果類似疾病再度爆發，災難仍可能在台灣上演。
曹女士是台灣第一個被證實感染SARS的案例，包括她的先生、兒子也都感染。曹女士雖不習慣面對媒體，但仍以靦腆又堅定的態度，訴說這段心路歷程。曹女士 至今仍不能快步走，吃飯也不能太快，否則會喘不過氣來。她無法待在密閉空間，晚上睡覺必須用抽風機，不斷把空氣抽進房間，還要戴著氧氣罩才能入睡。
曹女士說，如果當初台灣早一點從WHO知道SARS的相關訊息，她就不會拖到十一天後才就醫，留下後續的痛苦。
林義傑為WHO而跑 台灣不應受到國際排擠
特派記者王平宇／日內瓦報導
台灣極地運動好手林義傑今年首度為台灣參與世界衛生組織（WHO）而跑，他更透露一段不為人知的感人故事，他曾認識因救護SARS病患而身故的和平醫院護士長陳靜秋，也因這段機緣，讓他開始了解並關心，知道WHO對台灣很重要。
林義傑昨在日內瓦參加「台灣與全球在WHO齊步走」活動。他表示，當年剛踏出校門，在方濟中學擔任教師，當時班上有一個學生的母親，常打電話給他，關心自己的兒子，更關心其他學生，林義傑形容為「非常熱心的導護媽媽」，她就是陳靜秋護士長。
後來SARS肆虐之際，林義傑從電視得知這位護士長為幫助感染SARS的病患，成為在和平醫院封院中第一個身故的醫護人員，他說，「當場我的眼淚就掉下 來，因為她真的很偉大」。以前他只知政府在推動加入WHO，但不知道什麼叫WHO？也因這段經歷開始研究，了解台灣為何需加入WHO。
林義傑認為，台灣是非常懂得「感激」的國家，有許多慈善組織在世界各地付出愛心，台灣的醫療已有「哈佛級的水準」，台灣參與WHO也是基於地球村的互惠概念，有意願奉獻我們的心力，不應受到排擠。
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