Development of Laws and Regulations on Communicable Diseases Control in Taiwan

HS Yang

2000 Vol.16 NO.8

Correspondence Author：

Abstract：

The Regulations Governing the Control of Communicable Diseases, in 35 articles, was promulgated by the Nationalist government on 6 December 1944 on mainland China. The set of regulations has been, since its promulgation, amended twice to meet the changing society, the need for more intensified control of communicable diseases, and the improvement in livelihood. The first amendment of Article 31 and Article 32 was made on 28 December 1948 and the second amendment of 40 articles in total was made on 19 January 1983. In the early stage, 12 communicable diseases namely, cholera, dysentery bacillary and amoebic, typhoid and paratyphoid, smallpox, meningococcal meningitis, diphtheria, scarlet fever, plague, typhus fever, and relapsing fever were classified as notifiable. When the Second World War ended, Taiwan was in a devastating state. The healthcare infrastructures, among others, had been seriously damaged quarantine services stood at a standstill and sanitary conditions were generany poor. Active communication between Taiwan and the mainland China then had brought about to Taiwan outbreaks of some notifiable communicable diseases such as smallpox, cholera, plague, dysentery bacillary and amoebic, typhoid and paratyphoid, meningococcal meningitis, diphtheria, and scarlet fever. To prevent the spread of the notifiable diseases, the health authorities had taken active preventive measures, and required all public and private health and medical care institutions to function strictly in accordance with the Regulations Governing the Control of Communicable Diseases, and all counties and cities to closely follow these diseases. In case of any infection, immediate and effective control measures were taken to interrupt the transmission. Through these measures, many communicable diseases had been brought under effective control gradually.