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Leading EU figure comes out in favor of WHA bid

A leading member of the European Parliament called on Tuesday for Taiwan to have direct access to the WHO.

Graham Watson, leader of the European Parliament's Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, said the inclusion of Taiwan in the world health network would not only protect Taiwanese, but also create a global health framework that was better equipped to protect people around the world.

Watson expressed his disapproval at the fact that Taiwan had only been allowed to take part in certain technical meetings held by the WHO, and urged the world health body to address the issue.

Watson made the remarks during an event held in support of Taiwan's bid to participate in the WHO. The event was co-organized by Watson and a Geneva-based consultant firm, Health Diplomats.

Also at the event, Delon Human, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and president of Health Diplomats and former secretary-general and CEO of the World Medical Association, urged European Parliament members, EU officials, European media representatives and European medical workers to exert their influence and press the EU to help Taiwan gain access to the WHO.

In the interim before Taiwan succeeded in its bid to obtain observer status at the World Health Assembly (WHA), which would involve a very long process, the WHO should take several steps to try to mend the gap in the world health network, Human said.

These steps should include the inclusion of Taiwan in the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and the International Health Regulations mechanism and allowing the nation to take part in WHO-affiliated regional organizations, Human said.

Printed materials prepared by the event's organizers stated that Taiwan was one of the "areas" that was shut out of the global public health network. In the event of bird flu or other infectious diseases breaking out in the country, 23 million people would have no way of receiving assistance from the WHO, the documents said.

The consequences of this shortsightedness were demonstrated during the 2003 SARS outbreak, according to the printed materials.

Also at the event, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Winston Dang (陳重信), who also serves as director of the DPP's Department of International Affairs, told the Central News Agency that the EU had become more supportive of Taiwan's WHO bid after the US and Japan had openly expressed their support for the nation.

If the nation was again barred from participating in the WHA as an observer this year, the government should consider applying for full WHO membership, Dang said.

With the WHA set to meet on May 22, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday called on France and South Korea to support Taiwan's bid to participate as an observer.

Saying that the health care and disease prevention system must transcend national borders, Chen called on members of the French parliament's Taiwan Friendship Group and South Korea's National Assembly delegation to allow the nation the opportunity to perform its duty as a member of the international health community.

Chen also called on South Korea's National Assembly to follow the parliaments of Belgium, Chile and the EU in passing a resolution backing Taiwan's WHA bid, and to vote for the nation's inclusion in the body at the annual meeting next month.

Additional reporting by Ko Shu-ling
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