Govts must be open about health issues

WHAT has politics to do with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic? Plenty, in the case of China and Taiwan as the two rivals trade verbal blows over the handling of the disease. 

Taiwan has blamed China for trying to cover up the disease, with its initial head-in-the sand stance and blanket denials until the death toll increased. It criticised China for refusing to take the initiative to deal with the disease although it originated from Guangdong, southern China, in November.