Taiwan's Success Story In Combating Covid-19

COVID-19 has unravelled the potency and the feebleness of most geographical region’s healthcare, technical, social and political structure. While countries are anticipating various dimensions to tackle coronavirus and combat the pandemic, Taiwan’s success in controlling COVID-19 has bolstered its global standing despite the close geographical proximity with China. The resilient island aggregated its forces to tackle the virus and circumstances rationally with well-established pandemic control strategies, bio medical assets, advanced IoT capabilities, impeccable healthcare system and a well organised political force. Taiwan apparently grappled the coronavirus incredibly well and is now keen to offer medical and technical assistance to other countries in this global crisis.

- Hithaishi C Bhaskar 

Taiwan, an island state in East Asia is located at less than 150 km sea route away from China, the epicentre of COVID-19 outbreak. Among the 23 million population of the island 850 000 reside-in and 404 000 work in China. Though the world’s corona death tool is steeping with elevated graph, Taiwan has recorded only 429 cases and 6 reported deaths as of April 30, 2020.

Taiwan has always been provident from its earlier lessons learnt during SARS outbreak in 2003. Thus, the country became hyper-vigilant once the first case of mysterious pneumonia reported in Wuhan, China. Taiwan developed its proficient and self-established health system to address any upcoming pandemic or epidemic. Taiwan’s advanced hub is combating COVID-19 through science, technology, and democratic proactive governance and most importantly independent of WHO tracking system. Taiwan believes in strategic pre planning prior to the outbreak and constantly reviews immigration policies as and when the situation evolves to monitor any emerging infectious diseases.

Taiwan’ trajectories and execution strategies in assessing COVID-19 and quick actions in preventing a large-scale epidemic may be instructive for other countries as the virus continue to threaten global health and economies.

Rapid response and effective strategies

Ever since the SARS epidemic in 2003, Taiwan has been on constant alert by establishing public health response mechanism which activates emergency public health management structures. Taiwan proficient teams quickly mobilize and institute specific approaches for case identification, containment, and resource allocation.