The Formosan Medical Association and other medical groups are pushing for Taiwan to take part in the World Health Assembly (WHA) as an official member and not just an observer.
US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Brian McKeon on Friday urged WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to grant Taiwan observer status when the WHA, the decisonmaking body of the WHO, meets next month.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is very active in connecting with the international community, which has praised Taiwan’s pandemic response,” Democratic Progressive Party Legislator and physician Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said on Saturday. “The government should leverage this in its efforts to get into the WHA.”
Photo: AFP / WHO / Christopher Black
Support has been expressed within the World Medical Association for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the WHA and WHO, Chiu said, adding that the World Medical Association passed a resolution on the issue at an assembly last year.
The Taiwan Association of Family Medicine, the International College of Surgeons’ Taiwan Section and other Taiwanese medical organizations could also be instrumental in garnering support for Taiwan’s efforts to be an observer at the WHA, given the organizations’ strong international ties, he said.
“More than 20 of these organizations are to hold a joint press conference before the WHA,” Chiu said. “The Formosan Medical Association also plans to hold an international seminar on the sidelines of this year’s assembly to connect with doctors from around the world.”
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community has became aware of China’s obstruction of Taiwan at the WHA, and more people are beginning to speak up for Taiwan, Chiu said, adding that Taiwan needs those voices in the international community to speak on its behalf.
The issue of Taiwan’s participation could be brought up each year in January when the WHO Executive Board meets to decide the yearly agenda for the WHA, he added.
Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan director Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) said that the support of allies and like-minded nations is crucial to Taiwan achieving observer status at the WHA.
From 2009 to 2016, Taiwan participated as an observer in the WHA under the name “Chinese Taipei” when relations between Taipei and Beijing were better. Since 2017, the WHO has refused to invite Taiwan to attend the assembly due to opposition from China.
Additional reporting by CNA
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
RSS