Fight against swine flu successful: president
ROC Central News Agency
2010/02/24 18:07:00
Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou said Wednesday that the fight against swine flu, officially known as influenza A (H1N1), has been successful, so much so that the Central Epidemic Command Center was disbanded a day earlier.
The president noted that around 25 percent of the nation has been immunized, with the inoculation rate reaching as high as 75 percent among those aged under 18, so that the disease has been brought firmly under control.
"The war against the disease has been successful," Ma said.
The nationwide immunization program kicked into gear last Nov. 1, with health care personnel and people affected by Typhoon Morakot among the first to receive the shots.
Ma cited as another tangible result of his administration the reconstruction work in the wake of Morakot.
He pointed out that 800 households rendered homeless by the typhoon moved into permanent shelters before the Lunar New Year, while those who remain in temporary accommodation in military barracks have had their living units converted into a more homely style with greater privacy.
The president estimated that "the settlement of 2,000 households should be possible" by the first anniversary of the disastrous typhoon that took place Aug. 7-9, 2009, bringing the heaviest rain in half a century that caused serious mudslides and flooding in southern Taiwan.
Speaking to the board directors and supervisors of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce as well as the heads of local chambers of commerce from 20 cities and counties, the president said "the biggest problem now is unemployment." He noted that the unemployment rate was 5.68 percent in January and that the number of medium- and long-term unemployed has continued to increase.
The top priority is to cut unemployment, Ma said, adding that the government has worked out strategies and measures that will be unveiled soon.
On Taiwan's economic recovery, Ma said he was elated to see tallies released earlier in the week by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics.
The economic growth in the fourth quarter of last year reached 9.22 percent, the highest in nearly a decade. Even though this was because the basis for comparison was low, he said it is nevertheless still a positive development.
The DGBAS also adjusted economic growth for this year upward from 4.39 percent to 4.72 percent, Ma went on, adding that the Executive Yuan has set the target at 4.8 percent.
If the development continues, per capita income could exceed US$18,000 this year, Ma said.
Ma reiterated the missions of economic recovery this year as job creation, innovation promotion, energy conservation and carbon emission cuts, as well as involving Taiwan in regional integration. (By Garfie Li and Lilian Wu) ENDITEM/J
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