WHO 傳染病科行政總監希曼醫生序

3月中到六月底這段日子，世界衛生組織（WHO）工作繁忙。原因是‘嚴重性呼吸道綜合症’（SARS）在世界各地散播，有些人稱它為二十一世紀的首個全球疫症，實在不無原因。要防止SARS的國際傳播，WHO在衛生和政治上都面對嚴峻的挑戰－－我們當時必須立即反應，不可有任何延誤。WHO根據每天從世界各國透過電子通訊得來的流行病學資料，發出全球旅遊指引。這是WHO五十四年來，未曾出現過的。

WHO的一隊行動專家組走在最前線，嘗試提供指引給造成人命傷亡、社會和經濟受到破壞的國家，同時防止SARS的傳播。從一開始，WHO就向國際傳媒發放消息，並回應新聞界理所當然的種種提問，從而獲取第一手且準確的資訊。我是在這樣的情況下，認識本書的作者－－林美茵（Esther Lam）。

Esther從SARS危機爆發依始，就專業而勤奮地在日內瓦採訪和跟進各地的發展。她總會出席我們的記者會；期間又常常致電我，詢問進一步的資料或澄清疑問。她充分掌握事態的發展，提問總是切中要點、敏銳而又鍥而不捨，有時也很尖銳。WHO從一開始就認識到，要控制這疾病，新聞界扮演著重要的角色，讓公眾知道這威脅全球衛生健康的疾病，以及各國和WHO所採取的相應措施；負責任的新聞報導所作的貢獻，實有助控制SARS的傳播，令它不至在全球各地爆發。

對於SARS，我們沒有自滿的餘地。我們不能因為成功控制了SARS；切斷了它在人與人之間的傳播，而被引進虛假的安全感裡去；因為虛假的安全感，可能成為我們最大的敵人。我們還有很多尚待解答的問題，包括這疾病是否已經成為普世的傳染病，而且仍然以較底的傳染程度在傳播，以致能逃過目前的監察系統，但它日後會再出現？又或是，SARS已經在人類中消失，但假如它再從大自然中跑回人類身上，我們會否更容易受感染？因此，我們必須加緊研究，務求完全理解這疾病，以防止日後的爆發。如果我們在承擔這重要資料的尋索上失敗了，也就是我們自己的失敗。

大衛 . 希曼，WHO 傳染病科行政總監

11.7.2003

Preface by Dr. Heymann, Executive Director, Communicable Diseases, WHO

The period between mid-March and late June 2003 was busy for the World Health Organization (WHO). The reason was the worldwide spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), called by some - not without reason - the first global disease of the twenty-first century. SARS placed the WHO before acute health as well as political challenges to prevent the international spread of SARS - and the organization had to react without delay. Never before in the 54-year history of the Organization had it issued travel recommendations based on epidemiological information that was received daily from countries around the world by electronic communication.

An operational team of WHO was at the forefront of the Organization's attempts to provide guidance to countries where it was causing death, social and economic disruption, while at the same time preventing its spread. From the beginning, WHO informed the international press and answered their legitimate questions for first-hand and accurate information. It was in this context that I met the author of the present book, Esther Lam.

From the outset of the SARS crisis, Esther followed the developments, both in Geneva and in countries where the disease was occurring with professionalism and diligence. She was always present at press briefings, and between formal briefings often phoned me for additional information or clarification. Her questions were always to the point, informed, incisive, probing and sometimes tough. WHO recognized from the outset that the press must play a crucial role in the containment of the disease by informing the public of this global threat to health and measures taken by countries and by WHO, and it was indeed the contribution made by responsible reporting that helped contain the outbreaks occurring worldwide.

In SARS there is no place for complacency. We cannot be wooed into false security over the successful containment efforts that have interrupted human transmission, as false security could become our worst enemy. There are many questions that need to be answered including whether or not the disease has now become endemic and is still transmitting at levels too low to be detected by surveillance systems, only to reappear at some time in the future, or whether it has disappeared from human populations that will be susceptible should it be reintroduced again to humans from nature. Intensive research is thus required for us to understand the disease completely and to prevent future outbreaks, and if we fail to undertake this crucial quest for information we have failed ourselves

David Heymann, Executive Director, Communicable Diseases, WHO

11 July 2003