The Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan and NGO Affairs Committee kicked off the "Taiwan for WHO Tribunal" yesterday and are focusing on the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic to advocate World Health Organization (WHO) membership for Taiwan.
The tribunal said that only by joining the WHO can Taiwan share medical information with the international community and be included in the global network for epidemic prevention.
President Chen Shui-bian (
"Taiwan has been striving keenly to join international organizations and participate in humane and peaceful international relief programs because these are intrinsic rights and obligations belonging to Taiwan. We are not asking for privileges, but of a status that should belong to us now," Chen said.
"Taiwan has been professional and effective about [SARS] control, and made important contributions to international society. But the WHO has always been pressured by the Chinese government, and China has been preventing Taiwan from joining the WHO."
"I have always emphasized the idea of medical treatment without boundaries, sympathy without boundaries, because the basic rights of peace, freedom and health should not be limited by artificial boundaries. China and Hong Kong have been struggling with SARS, and Taiwan can help," Chen said.
Present at the tribunal were Director-General of Department of Health Twu Shiing-Jer (
In the tribunal, the panel of government officials and experts highlighted Taiwan's predicament of being ignored by the WHO. They also commended the Department of Health's performance in controlling SARS.
"We have been in communication with the WHO every day to relay our SARS control progress. This is because of our wish to pay our dues as a world citizen," Twu said.
"Our excellent results at controlling the disease do not mean we do not need the WHO's help in the medical field.
"It is not because we do not have sufficient medical resources and skills that we need to join the WHO.
"On the contrary, it is because we hope to work together with the international community to strengthen the network of epidemic prevention," Twu said.
Lai, who yesterday evening left for Europe with a Legislative Yuan lobby group to look for support from European countries said, "If Taiwan did not have such superior medical standards to be able to control SARS effectively, our non-WHO member status would have caused problems for the international community due to our lack of communication channels to the WHO and the world. From SARS we can see how important Taiwan is to the global health network. Taiwan really should be given a place within the WHO."
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