January 29, 2018
No.010
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) expresses its sincere gratitude to Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Haiti, Japan, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Swaziland, and the United States for voicing their support for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly at the 142nd session of the WHO Executive Board, which was held January 22 to 27 in Geneva.
As part of the session’s agenda of professional issues, the countries made statements explaining Taiwan’s concrete contributions to international cooperation on public health and medicine, and emphasized the importance of Taiwan’s participation in global disease prevention and control mechanisms and the WHA, helping to raise international understanding of Taiwan’s bid.
In promoting its participation in the WHA, Taiwan’s position is based on its contributions to public health expertise and on upholding the human right to health. MOFA calls upon the WHO to hold fast to its objective of attaining the highest possible level of health for all the people of the world, and to invite Taiwan to participate in this year’s 71st WHA. MOFA reiterates that only the government elected by democratic means within Taiwan can represent Taiwan’s 23 million people and shoulder primary responsibility for their health.
Disease knows no borders and strikes without discrimination. MOFA will continue to work with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, civic organizations, and concerned citizens to actively promote work relating to Taiwan’s participation in this year’s WHA. (E)