Taiwan's Experience in Hospital Preparedness and Response for Emerging Infectious Diseases

The authors describe Taiwan’s Communicable Disease Control Medical Network, which was established after the 2003 SARS outbreak, and discuss its performance during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and the West African Ebola outbreak. They discuss similarities with the tiered response system established in the U.S. for Ebola, identify strengths as the establishment of a command system with well-prepared hospitals and trained personnel, and note the challenges of maintaining funding, clarifying the role of local public health authorities, and incentivizing the participation of frontline clinical staff.