JEDDAH, 15 April 2005 — Taiwan has requested the World Health Organization (WHO) to take all possible measures to ensure that it has direct access to all benefits of the organization’s advice and assistance.

“Aiming to protect the health of its 23 million citizens and to further contribute to the health assistance for needy countries around the globe, Taiwan has been appealing vigorously to participate in the WHO,” Fareed Hwang, information division director,Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Riyadh told Arab News in a recent communication.

He said it was regrettable that the World Health Assembly (WHA) had once again decided last May not to include the proposed agenda item entitled ‘inviting the health authorities of Taiwan to participate in the World Health Assembly as an observer’ on its agenda.

Hwang explained that “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health” was the noble objective of the WHO, as enshrined in its charter.

“Today, with 192 member states, the WHO has almost realized the principle of ‘universality’. Most unfortunately, the only exception is Taiwan,” he said.

He said that the WHO is the most important international organization in the fields of public health and disease control. Communicable diseases have no regard for geographical or political borders.

“The outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and avian influenza (AI), have taught us a great deal about the importance of working together to prevent and contain the spread of infectious diseases. We cannot afford any loopholes,” he said.

Hwang said that unfortunately, Taiwan has been barred from participating in the WHO since1972 for purely political reasons, which not only violates the health rights of the 23 million people of Taiwan, but also constitutes an important missing link in the global network of health and medical care.

In 1997, Taiwan launched a campaign for observer status in the WHA.

“Practically, all government leaders agree that Taiwan should be included in the WHO networks; however, they lack moral courage and intellectual honesty to act under China’s political pressure,” he said.

At last year’s WHA plenary session, in addition to supporting Taiwan’s WHO bid, many countries expressed their hope that the WHO should show flexibility in finding mechanisms to allow Taiwan to participate in the technical activities of the WHO.