Taiwan seeks support to participate in World Health Ass’y, WHO confabs

WITH the World Health Organization (WHO) marking its 75th anniversary this year, Taiwan views it as an excellent opportunity for the international community to enhance public-health efforts, while working toward the ultimate goal of achieving “Health for All.”

According to a statement from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco) in Manila, Taiwan had been a valuable global partner in the fight against Covid-19. Despite its antipandemic contributions, however, it “continues to be excluded from WHO, and the World Health Assembly [WHA] due to unjustifiable political considerations,” which “seriously jeopardizes the right to health of the 23 million people of Taiwan.”

Teco added: “[It also dents WHO’S efforts to make global-health architecture more resilient, hindering health emergency prevention, readiness] and response.”

As such, the island-state calls on its diplomatic allies and like-minded partners to support its participation as an observer in the WHA which is happening until May 30, as well as in all WHO meetings, activities and mechanisms.

Working with global partners, Teco said Taiwan has demonstrated its commitment to sharing its expertise and successful pandemic response methods with other countries through bilateral and multilateral platforms. Moreover, the latter has been developing medical countermeasures to Covid-19, while boosting its capacity to innovate critical drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Since the pandemic, the islandstate has issued 13 export licenses for its herbal formula NRICM101 to help countries in the region combat the pandemic.

In a dynamic world of converging challenges, Teco confirmed that “Taiwan is willing and able to help wherever there is a need.” Since the onset of the health emergency, the latter has worked with the Philippine government in its response to challenges by providing medical supplies and face masks.

“Taiwan’s participation in WHO and the WHA is a pragmatic issue— not a political one. [It stands firm in its vow to uphold] the principles of professionalism, pragmatism, and making contributions,” the Tecoissued statement read.

The statement added: “Taiwan will continue to act as a force for good in the world to help bolster the resilience of the global-health network.”