April 13, 2003

To the Editor: China's recent apology ("China apologizes for lack of a
timely alert", 4/5/03) for months of suppressing information about SARS and
impeding World Health Organization researchers from accessing areas from
which the deadly virus originated, is simply too little too late. Although
international researchers have begun to enter the Guangdong province in the
recent days, the lives of countless people around the world, including in
Dade County, have already been needlessly jeopardized.

Just as lamentable, although less reported by the media, is the second major
way that China has weakened the ability of the WHO to respond to epidemics:
the exertion of political pressure on WHO members to block the organization
from working with Taiwan and its 23 million citizens. This is harmful to
both Taiwan and the global community. Taiwan needs free and unimpeded
access to the collective knowledge of the international health community in
order to prevent, minimize, and eradicate such disease in a timely fashion.

The global health and epidemic control system is like a fishing net, and
Taiwan's absence from the WHO marks a great hole in that net.

Ming-Lon Young, MD, Professor of
Pediatrics, University of Miami, Miami, FL