Taiwan's health-care system and administration are independent of China

Abstract

As the Taiwan Minister of Health and Welfare, I am writing to make a formal protest against the erroneous designation of Taiwan as a province of China in the systematic analysis of mortality, morbidity, and risk factors in China and its provinces, 1990–2017 for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.1Zhou M Wang H Zeng X et al.Mortality, morbidity, and risk factors in China and its provinces, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.Lancet. 2019; (published online June 24)https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30427-1Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (1645) Google Scholar Taiwan is a sovereign democratic country, not part of any other. This is an undisputed fact. Our president and parliament are democratically elected. Taiwan takes pride in its democracy. It is not part of China. The people of Taiwan have repeatedly reiterated their expectation for maintaining the status quo. Taiwan was listed as a province of China and included in the tables in the Article.1Zhou M Wang H Zeng X et al.Mortality, morbidity, and risk factors in China and its provinces, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.Lancet. 2019; (published online June 24)https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30427-1Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (1645) Google Scholar However, Taiwan's hygienic conditions, health-care standards, and public health systems are completely different to those of China. Taiwan and China also use distinctly different methods to collect statistical data from different sources. The investigators compared the data of Taiwan with China's national mean by using biased and academically unethical methodologies. The results, therefore, are of no value to the field of public health and might be detrimental to the journal's prestigiousness and credibility. On behalf of the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare and the people of Taiwan, I hereby formally protest and demand that The Lancet make a correction. I am the Minister of Health and Welfare, Republic of China (Taiwan). Mortality, morbidity, and risk factors in China and its provinces, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017China has made substantial progress in reducing the burden of many diseases and disabilities. Strategies targeting chronic diseases, particularly in the elderly, should be prioritised in the expanding Chinese health-care system. Full-Text PDF Open AccessTaiwan's health-care system and administration are independent of ChinaI am writing on behalf of the Taipei Representative Office in the UK to express a grave concern over the incorrect designation of Taiwan as a province of China in the Article about mortality, morbidity, and risk factors in China and its provinces.1 Full-Text PDF Taiwan's health-care system and administration are independent of ChinaZhou and colleagues1 compare mortality, morbidity, and risk factors in China and its provinces, between 1990 and 2017. Data from the Global Health Data Exchange clearly showed Taiwan and China are two distinguished countries. Including Taiwan in the analyses makes this Article misleading, biased, and flawed. Full-Text PDF Taiwan's health-care system and administration are independent of China – Authors' replyWe investigated the levels and trends of disease burden at the province level in China between 1990 and 2017.1 This Article is the result of not only the collaboration with researchers in China but also the collaboration of more than 3400 collaborators within the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) network. The estimation of provincial level burden of disease in China is an integral part of the entire GBD enterprise that provides comprehensive and comparative assessment of the state of population health for all nations and subnational units for selected nations. Full-Text PDF Taiwan's health-care system and administration are independent of ChinaZhou and colleagues1 show that China and its provinces have made some efforts in reducing the burden of many diseases. We regret to see that Taiwan and its health-care system are not considered independent from China. Full-Text PDF