The Chinese mainland is giving authorities in Taiwan greater access to information and resources to help prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

China's Ministry of Health has opened a special web page for daily SARS reporting and distributing information released by the World Health Organization (WHO).

From the beginning of the SARS outbreak, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits has informed Taiwan of the SARS situation on the mainland, providing information on prevention and treatment methods, and case histories of Taiwanese SARS patients residing on the mainland.

On April 9 the association began providing Taiwan with SARS preventive medicine and technical information.

Meanwhile medical experts from both sides of the straits have been exchanging information, often through audio-visual conferences, conducting field investigations and exploring ways tocombat SARS.

Some Taiwanese experts had earlier appealed for the creation ofpermanent systems for cross-straits health care and disease control cooperation , which they believed would assist Taiwan's efforts against the disease.

Local governments and medical institutions on the mainland havedonated SARS medicine, over 8,000 protective face masks and three air disinfecting machines to Taiwan.

The Municipality of Beijing has prepared materials and is readyto help the anti-SARS battle in Taiwan.

Editor: Liao Ming