The Hill: Taiwan’s ability to share health care advances stymied by exclusion from WHO
Stanley Kao, representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States

“…As Taiwan’s Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung stated in a recent interview: ‘Taiwan’s expertise in disease control and universal health coverage can strengthen global medical development, and the nation is willing and able to share its experiences.’ What better place to achieve this goal than at the upcoming 72nd [World Health Assembly (WHA)] in Geneva from May 20 to 28? However, due to China’s political meddling in what should be a basic human right — access to affordable health care for all the world’s citizens — Taiwan and its input and expertise have been excluded from the annual WHA gathering since 2017. … Meaningful participation in the WHO will allow Taiwan to fully contribute its abundant medical experiences. … Taiwan has already clearly demonstrated its role as a responsible health care stakeholder in the global community, despite China’s efforts to exclude Taiwan from international participation. It is therefore time for Taiwan to be again accorded a seat at the table at the annual WHA…” (5/10).