Original Article
Development of Travel Medicine in Taiwan, 2007-2012
Li-Gin Wu1, Wan-Ling Chen2, Min-Cheng Lin3, Gwo-Chang Sheu1, Shih-Yan Yang4
2014 Vol.30 NO.1
Correspondence Author： Li-Gin Wu
- 1.Division of Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare,Taiwan
- 2.Division of Planning and Coordination, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan
- 3.Central Regional Center, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan
- 4.Taipei Regional Center, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan
Abstract：
In the era of global village, the WHO suggests that the travel planners should search the underlying hazard warning of destination, to understand the best way to protect their health, and minimize the risk of illness. Although the medical and travel industry have offered plenty amount of information and helpful warning, the travelers are responsible to take necessary prevention methods on relative risks. To prevent the importation and spread of diseases, the Centers for Disease Control in Taiwan (Taiwan CDC) has taken the initiatives to protect the health and safty of people while traveling abroad. At first, the “Travel Health Center” was founded to offer consultation and vaccination for international traveling in 2007, and then the “Travel Medicine Education and Training Center” was established with the collaboration of National Taiwan University Hopital in 2008, to expand the service scale, promote travel medicine, and to perform education and training on medical staffs, furthermore, it was extended to first-line staffs of travel industry in 2009. Till today, the “Training Center for Travel Medicine” is still conducting the education training and has made more professional, also, the outpatient clinic has become the model centre of travel medicine, with significant result. Besides, in order to provide more comprehensive service, the Taiwan CDC has signed the “International Traveling Integrated Service Contract Hospital (abbr. Contract Hospital)” successively since 2008 with12 hospitals to offer international traveling outpatient clinics, not only to provide the public a convenient, comprehensive and accessible service, but also to enhance the effect of disease prevention and to ground the travel medicine in this country. This article describes the development in 2007-2012 and future expectation of travel medicine in Taiwan.
