In light of the continuing spread of Zika virus worldwide, the increasing number of dengue cases reported in Taiwan during the past two years, the growing threat of all vector-borne diseases, pursuant to the instructions of Premier Chang San-cheng (張善政), the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) decided to accept Tainan City Mayor Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) recommendation to establish a national level research institute for vector-borne diseases in Tainan after reviewing the existing research capacity in Taiwan. Minister of Health and Welfare Chiang Been-huang (蔣丙煌) promised that relevant establishment bills will be completed and submitted to the Legislative Yuan for examination as soon as possible. During noon on February 15, Minister without Portfolio Chung Char-dir convened a meeting with relevant agencies to finalize the bill.

As early as 1946, the Taiwan Provincial Malaria Research Institute (TAMRI) was established in Pingtung to plan and execute malaria control programs in Taiwan. Taiwan thus became the first country in the Western Pacific Region to eradicate malaria. In addition, dengue remained dormant for forty years in Taiwan. Facing the severe threat posed by vector-borne diseases again, MOHW referred to the previous experience of TAMRI to suggest the establishment of the National Vector-Borne Disease Research Institute in Tainan, which will be modeled after the Environmental Health Institute (EHI) under the National Environment Agency (NEA) in Singapore. The National Vector-Borne Disease Research Institute aims to recruit various mosquito experts that are currently working at government research agencies, academic research institutes and colleges/universities to collaborate and actively research vector control and vector-borne disease control. The Institute will be set up the way a corporate body is set up and follow five main principles: national-level, task-oriented, resource integration, local research, and major research and development hub in the Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asia regions. Local and international experts in entomology, insect molecular biology, environmental ecology, epidemiology, prevention medicine, and immunology will station in the Institute. The Executive Yuan will designate the most appropriate agency, which the Institute will be under

Global warming has facilitated an increase in mosquito population and mosquito has been widely recognized as the No.1 animal killer. Hence, the most important control effort is to eliminate vector mosquitoes. Taiwan is located in the tropical and subtropical regions, which is the perfect habitat for vector mosquitoes. Vector mosquitoes is not merely a problem in southern Taiwan, they could spread to the rest of the island. Last year, Kaohsiung Medical University was tasked by MOHW to establish the Dengue Prevention and Control Research Center, which focuses on researching ways to improve healthcare service delivery. Nevertheless, to really address the threat posed by vector-borne diseases and step up the efforts to a higher level, the Taiwan Government decided to establish the National Vector-Borne Disease Research Institute in southern Taiwan in order to integrate the research capacity in human and vector control and proactively address the growing threat posed by vector-borne diseases to human lives.