World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Lee Jong-wook acknowledged yesterday that the health body's lack of Taiwan's health information caused a "gap" in the global framework for infectious disease control.
Lee approached Solomon Chen (
Lee asked Chen where he was from after the closure of a committee meeting at the WHA yesterday evening. Chen, due to his medical contribution to Malawi, is now a member of the Malawian delegation to the assembly.
"Lee asked me whether I am from Taipei or Taichung," Chen told Taiwanese reporters.
Lee told Chen as long as Taiwan writes the WHO letters expressing its interest in sending medical and health experts to join the health body's activities, the WHO will definitely respond to the requests.
"But Lee said the WHO cannot guarantee it will let us attend all the conferences and activities, because the health body sometimes turns down even the requests of its member states to join its activities," Chen said.
According to Chen, Lee said although Taiwan can send its requests to the WHO directly, it still has to notify China of its communication with the WHO.
"I told Lee Taiwanese medical experts were barred from a tsunami health conference in Phuket, Thailand last month because of China's pressure," Chen said.
Lee said it happened because at that time, the WHO Secretariat had not yet signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China facilitating technical exchanges between Taiwan and the WHO.
Taiwan dismissed the MOU, signed by China and the WHO Secretariat last Saturday, as "unacceptable" because the memo treated Taiwan as part of China.
Based on the MOU, the WHO can also send experts to Taiwan if it informs China of the decision one month in advance, Lee said. In emergency cases, there can be special arrangements, he added.
Chen took the opportunity to ask Lee whether the WHO will assign Taiwan's Center for Disease Control (CDC) as a national focal point under the International Health Regulations (IHR), the health body's global legal framework for infectious disease control.
Under the IHR, countries will have "focal points" to communicate with each other to share information and control the spread of infectious diseases.
Lee said Taiwan would have to report to China's focal point.
"I told Lee it would be impossible. Only Taiwan's health authority holds the country's health information," Chen said.
"What will the WHO do if Taiwan refuses to report to China?" the doctor asked Lee.
Lee also admitted that the health body's lack of health information in Taiwan is a "gap."
"I told Lee: `So you recognize the gap. It exists,'" Chen said. "Lee did not answer me. He knows Taiwan needs a focal point. He cannot cover the gap," the doctor added.
Seeing Chen's attitude getting sharper during the conversation, Lee told him that he could not spend too much time on him, and walked away, the doctor said.
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