Page 27 - DIVA_No.23_2006

Interview with Mr Steve Kuo,

Director at the Center For Disease Control

Department of Health, Taiwan

Has production started
As one of the conse- DOH will provide adequate
We all remember the SARS
already, and have you
quences of SARS, the remuneration to the patent
crisis in 2003. How did your world realizes that we are holder.
reached an agreement with
country get the necessary
Roche, the Swiss pharma-
living in a "Global Health
information to cope with the Village." Today, avian flu The CDC has been invited to
ceutical company?
disease, and what were the
is making headlines take part in technical meet-
consequences of the SARS
Being a non-member of the
around the world. How ings in Geneva regarding
pandemic in your country? the threat of avian flu. Will
does Taiwan's Center for
WHO, Taiwan would not
be guaranteed a share of the
Disease Control (CDC) get these meetings be of benefit
In the early stage of the SARS the necessary information to the CDC? If so, in what
WHO's Tamiflu stockpile,
outbreak, we could only get
should an outbreak occur
regarding the H5NJ virus? ways?
limited information from
here. Therefore, the gov-
Internet sources and had to rely
emment needs to be self-
Taiwan still has difficulty Since May 2005, the WHO
on the team of representatives
information
sufficient in its avian flu
obtaining has begun allowing Taiwan
from the U.S. Centers for
regarding avian flu out- In experts and officials to par-
preparation efforts.
Disease
and
Control
breaks around the world, ticipate in its international
addition to purchasing
Preventions (CDC) to provide
Tamiflu from Roche, we
since we are not a member meetings as individuals
us with the information and
of the WHO. Therefore, we rather than as representatives
have developed the capaci-
technical support needed.
ty to produce this drug. We
must continue to rely large- of a state. This has enabled us
ly on Internet and media to gain firsthand information
would begin mass produc-
On May 4, 2003, the World
tion, were an outbreak to
sources for information on from international discus-
Health Organization (WHO)
occur and Roche be unable
such outbreaks, although sions rather than having to
finally dispatched two experts
to meet our needs.
we now can also access rely on secondhand informa-
to Taiwan to assist in our
information through the tion from the Internet or the
SARS control efforts. They
The Taiwan Intellectual
informal channels, we media.
acted as a vital bridge between
Property Office (TIPO) has
established with other
Taiwan and the international nations during the SARS of In November 2005, I was
granted the Department
community in our common
Health a conditional corn-
outbreak. invited by the WHO to par-
fight against SARS. With their
pulsory license to use the
(2) We have made some ticipate in the "Partners
help, we were able to join
Tamiflu patent. In consid-
process since the WHO Meeting on Avian Influenza
WHO-organized video-confer- adopted the International and Human Pandemic
eration of the rights and
ences and teleconferences to
interests of the patent hold-
Health Regulations (IHR) Influenza" as an observer.
exchange our experiences and
er, TWO has attached the
in May 2005, which incor- Even though I could only sit
ideas with disease-control
following conditions to the
porates the concept of uni- with representatives from
experts from other nations.
compulsory license: a. The
versal application that may NGOs and did not have the
compulsory license is valid
allow Taiwan to become opportunity to speak, I was
Taiwan learned from its SARS
part of this international able to interact with delegates
only until December 31,
experience that inter-govern-
2007. b. Treatments as a
partnership. In addition, from many nations and
mental communication plays a Article 4 of the IHR stipu- organizations on the sidelines
result of the compulsory
crucial role in disease control
license is limited to domes-
lates, "each State Party of the meetings and obtain
in this age of frequent cross- shall designate or establish firsthand information from
tic disease control and pre-
border exchanges and interna-
a national IHR focal point them. Through face-to-face
vention use only.
tional travel. Therefore, during
and the authorities respon- discussions, I was able to
c. Taiwan must use Tamiflu
the SARS outbreak, the Taiwan
sible within its respective gain a better understanding of
supplied by Roche first.
government speedily compiled
The DOH may only release
jurisdiction for the imple- each country's or even each
a contact list of SARS-control mentation of health meas- region's bird flu prepared-
the antiviral medication
agencies from around the
these
ures ness and the problems they
under
produced under the corn-
world to exchange information Regulations." Through the have encountered. I also had
pulsory license, if Roche
on international public health
establishment of such a cannot supply Tamiflu on a the chance to network with
concerns and emergencies.
timely basis.
mechanism, we expect to international organizations
Taiwan suffered a total of 346
have greater access to d. If the DOB obtains a vol- and companies to explore the
confirmed cases and 73 deaths
untary license from Roche
information in the very near possibility of cooperation
from the SARS outbreak. In
during the compulsory
future,
addition, Taiwan suffered enor- with them.
license period, TIPO may
mous economic losses and
You have gone out in the cancel the compulsory
social disruption during the
license.
media saying that Taiwan
SARS outbreak, from which
will produce the Tamiflu
e. Pursuant to Article 76.5
we have since fully recovered.
drug for the local market. of Taiwan's Patent Act, the
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