The lack of transparency in China's epidemic disease information mechanism has jeopardised Taiwan's disease prevention and control efforts, Mainland Affairs Council vice chairman Liu Te-shun said yesterday.

According to reports monitored by the Daily Observer, Liu said China's cover up of the spread of infectious diseases has not only put the health of Taiwan's more than 23 million people at risk but has also created a gaping hole in the global health information network.

Taiwan has reported 42 cases of infectious diseases that can be traced back to China since the beginning of last year, Liu said, citing statistics compiled by Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control. He added that all of the five mutated strains of the H5N1 bird flu virus spreading in the world may have originated in China.

China has seen the spread of infectious diseases following major snowstorms that began in early January and lasted for about four weeks. Three bird flu deaths have been reported there since the start of the year, and statistics compiled by China's Ministry of Health show that the country registered some 300,600 cases of categories A and B infectious diseases in January, including 567 fatalities.

Infectious disease prevention efforts across the Taiwan Strait should not be neglected, as some 4.5 million Taiwan nationals visit China every year and nearly 1 million Taiwanese businesspeople are based in the country, Liu said.

Liu urged China to understand the consequences of its opaque epidemic disease information system and to respect Taiwan's efforts to become a member of the WHO in order to protect the rights of the country's citizens.

"China's problem of seriously insufficient medical resources has become a concealed concern for its development," he said.

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