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Taiwan—A Partner in Global Health

May 16, 2006

Promoting Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization Calling for public health and medical professionalism to take precedence over politics and Highlighting China's duplicitous tactics toward Taiwan and international society.

On May 16, 2006, Minister Cheng Wen-tsang of the Government Information Office, Minister Hou Sheng-mou of the Department of Health, and Deputy Minister Michael Ying-mao Kau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a joint press conference on the subject of “Taiwan—A Partner in Global Health.”

The conference emphasized that Taiwan's bid for participation in the World Health Organization (WHO) is in accordance with the principles of humanitarianism, justice, love, and peace; and that China's political obstructionism should not blur the focus of this. The three officials called on the world to adhere to the principle that public health and medical professionalism take precedence over politics. They also called on the international community to support Taiwan's appeals, as they conform to the WHO's highest goal of “health for all.”

Minister Hou started by stating that this year marks Taiwan's tenth attempt to gain observer status as a health entity in the World Health Assembly (WHA). In the global village of nations where disease knows no boundaries, Taiwan's effort to gain admittance to the WHO has remained a public health issue of international concern. This is because this issue is closely linked to the basic human rights of Taiwan's 23 million people and because Taiwan's absence creates a void in regional and global disease prevention systems. This is an appeal that accords well with the ideals of humanitarianism, justice, love, and peace. Minister Hou firmly believes that Taiwan's appeal will ultimately win the support and affirmation of the international community. Taiwan sincerely hopes that the WHO and its members, including China, will prioritize public health and medical professionalism over political manipulation and avoid paying lip service to this issue. Taiwan asks that China support Taiwan's participation in the WHO and attach due importance to the right of Taiwan's people to health from the standpoint of health professionals. Taiwan urges that China uphold the principles of parity and reciprocity by encouraging Taiwan's health experts to attend WHO technical meetings, such that global health may be enhanced and the “no-gap policy” of WHO Director-General Lee Jong-wook may be implemented. Finally, Minister Hou called on all citizens of Taiwan and those residing overseas, regardless of party affiliation, to join together to promote Taiwan's participation in the WHO so that the world body may soon achieve its highest goal of “health for all.”

Deputy Minister Kau pointed out that the goals for this year include not only promoting Taiwan's participation in the WHA as an observer, but also facilitating the “meaningful participation” of Taiwan's health professionals and experts. This means increasing Taiwan's presence at WHO technical meetings, the announcement of Taiwan's resolve to act as a role model in adhering at an early date to the principle of the “universal application” of the International Health Regulations (IHR), and active participation in the WHO's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). It is hoped that Taiwan will be included in the global disease prevention system such that it may cooperate with other nations to prevent avian flu. Taiwan calls on the international community to support its appeals based on the premise of global disease prevention.

Original Source: Government Information Office, EY(2006/05/16 23:21:09)