A visiting health expert yesterday expressed support for Taiwan’s participation in the WHO, saying that Taiwan must be part of the global community for the surveillance and detection of disease.
Taiwan “must participate in the surveillance and early detection of diseases that might represent threats,” said Ronald Waldman, a professor of global health at The George Washington University in Washington.
Waldman said he was happy that Taiwan has obtained observer status in the World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHO’s governing arm.
“I hope it can be extended to other technical areas,” he said, declining to elaborate.
Waldman is part of a delegation of experts on UN affairs, led by Mildred Espinoza, general manager of New York-based South-South News, which provides daily coverage of UN development and global issues, that arrived in Taipei on Monday for a week-long visit.
Allowing Taiwan to participate in the WHA and learn about international standards it can apply at home contributes to the protection of Taiwanese as well as people from other countries, he said.
He also gave the thumbs-up to the National Health Insurance program, which covers more than 90 percent of the population. The essence of good public health means universal health coverage and access for all, he said, adding that health issues are also an important part of the UN’s development goals.
Espinoza said Taiwan has been at the forefront in pushing the agenda of UN Millennium Development Goals.
The idea of continuing to work with its global partners is something Taiwan can “continue to do in order to move [Taiwan’s] efforts to the agenda” of eventual participation in UN activities, she said.
Taiwan has been seeking meaningful participation in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the International Civil Aviation Organization in recent years.
The delegation visited the International Cooperation and Development Fund, a government-funded agency that handles Taiwan’s assistance projects in developing countries.
“It shows Taiwan’s commitment to the global community,” Espinoza said, after learning about Taiwan’s efforts to help developing countries.
Obadias Ndaba, president of the UN-based World Youth Alliance, also recognized Taiwan’s efforts to help developing countries.
It is important that Taiwan shares with other developing countries its experience of transforming into a developed country in just a few decades, he said.
The development goals that UN members agreed to try to achieve by 2015 are combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women, as well as reducing child mortality rates.
The delegation has visited the Civil Aeronautics Administration, the Environmental Protection Administration and the Department of Health, to learn more about the country’s efforts to expand its participation in international organizations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The group is scheduled to leave tomorrow.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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