Can SARS Be Eradicated?
From a physical or scientific standpoint, SARS can potentially be eradicated, Dr. Twu stated, provided • there are no human carriers • it does not establish an ecological niche in animals in a new location • the natural host can be identified But much more important in answering the question of whether SARS can be eradicated, Dr. Twu argued, is political policy: Will political considerations stand in the way of effective health measures? First, is China capable of transparency in disease reporting? In the 200203 SARS outbreak, the Chinese authorities at first attempted to suppress all reports of SARS and denied there was a problem. When it became impossible to sustain this charade, the authorities still attempted to control and limit the amount of information that was released concerning the incidence of SARS. Second, can Taiwan secure good international cooperation in fighting pandemics such as SARS? Taiwan is denied membership in WHO, and lacks regular channels of communication with
