衛生福利部對於中國學者於醫學期刊「刺胳針」(The Lancet)發表的論文中，將台灣列為中國的一省等不當行為，陳時中部長在第一時間內除向該期刊編輯部說明外，並透過外交部駐英代表處遞交抗議信，該抗議信已於2019年台灣時間7月16日「刺胳針」(The Lancet) 全文刊登。
陳部長表示，台灣是一個主權國家，並非任何其他國家的一部份，此是不爭的事實，醫學期刊「刺胳針」(The Lancet)於2019/06/25網路刊登中國學者「Mortality, morbidity, and risk factors in China and its provinces, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017」的論文中，將台灣與「中國各省的平均值」相比，研究方法偏頗有違學術倫理之虞，加上中國與台灣雙方的衛生環境、醫療水準和公衛體系完全不同，所引用統計數據來源及蒐集方法差異甚巨，結果不具公共衛生參考價值且有損該期刊權威性和公信力。
對於The Lancet全文刊登我抗議信，陳時中部長表示感謝，亦對於陳副總統與國內學界的共同聲援特別予以致謝；同時也重申，任何學術的發表內容不該被單一國家的政治意圖所牽制，臺灣將持續為全球的衛生醫療及福利貢獻一己之心力，不受任何不良政治意圖影響。
The Lancet刊載之全文如下：
Taiwan's health-care system and administration are independent of China
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 2017.1
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.1 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).
Shih-Chung Chen
stamylee@mohw.gov.tw
Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei City 11558, Republic of China (Taiwan)
- Zhou 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)30427-1.