Taiwan is to donate US$250,000 to help combat Ebola in Africa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, after Taiwanese representatives on Friday joined US, WHO and African officials in a virtual meeting on responding to the virus.
The high-level meeting to strengthen Africa’s resilience and response to Ebola was attended by officials of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, the US, the WHO’s Regional Office for Africa, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the West African Health Organization.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivered opening remarks, the ministry said in a news release.
Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Centers for Disease Control Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩) also joined the meeting in Washington and Taipei respectively.
Hsiao said during the meeting that the COVID-19 pandemic has proven that disease outbreaks respect no national boundaries and countries should work together to ensure all people have access to proper healthcare.
To help combat Ebola, Taiwan has donated protective gear and money, while it is to donate another US$250,000, the ministry quoted Hsiao as saying.
The ministry did not specify which agency would receive the donation.
The ministry said it would continue to promote the nation’s participation in the global health system, such as WHO events.
The American Institute in Taiwan yesterday issued a news release lauding Taiwan’s contributions.
“Taiwan’s commitment to global health security, ranging from sharing expertise through technical training, medical supplies and PPE [personal protective equipment] donations, and monetary assistance from Ebola to COVID-19, again highlights that Taiwan is a force for good in the world and should be allowed to participate in international fora to protect public health,” it said.
Taiwan attended the World Health Assembly, the decisionmaking body of the WHO, as an observer under the name “Chinese Taipei” from 2009 to 2016, but has since been denied entry.
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has “returned home” to Taiwan, and there are no plans to hold a funeral for the TV star who died in Japan from influenza- induced pneumonia, her family said in a statement Wednesday night. The statement was released after local media outlets reported that Barbie Hsu’s ashes were brought back Taiwan on board a private jet, which arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. To the reporters waiting at the airport, the statement issued by the family read “(we) appreciate friends working in the media for waiting in the cold weather.” “She has safely returned home.
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