President Chen Shui-bian's Remarks at the Global Forum for Health Leaders
Office of the President
Republic of China (Taiwan)
November 19, 2007
Chairman of the Global Forum for Health Leaders Minister Hou, Vice Foreign Minister Yang, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good morning to you all!
It is a great honor to be here today at the 2007 Global Forum for Health Leaders. To start off, on behalf of Taiwan's government and people, I would like to extend our warmest welcome and appreciation to the health professionals and distinguished individuals who have traveled here from across the globe. I also want to express our most profound respect to you for your long-standing commitment to improving medical care and the health of all people, as well as for the contributions you have made to the medical field.
As the pace of globalization quickens, we find ourselves facing new health challenges. To meet them, we have been holding this forum annually for the past few years in the hope of promoting exchanges and cooperation in public health between Taiwan and other countries and increasing Taiwan's participation in international health affairs.
The topics of this year's forum are "health rights and health equity," "the quality of care in a changing society," and "intellectual property and drug safety and access." These are key issues that the World Health Organization and many nations are all concerned about. I hope that through pooling our wisdom in this forum, solutions to these challenges may be found and that this conference can enable Taiwan, a member of the international community, to make greater contributions to global health.
For many years, it has been Taiwan's aspiration to be not only a participant in but also a contributor to international health affairs. Last month, leaders from Taiwan and its six Pacific allies attended the Second Taiwan-Pacific Allies Summit in the Marshall Islands and discussed how to achieve sustainable development in a healthy and dynamic Pacific community. In April, Taiwan stationed a medical mission in the Marshall Islands, following in October with one in the Solomon Islands. We have also set up Taiwan Health Centers in both nations to serve their people and work with local health authorities to implement joint health projects.
Moreover, Taiwan and its Pacific allies have carried out five major joint projects over the past year. Taiwan has dispatched medical teams to its allies, offered training programs for local medical personnel, provided emergency relief, given clinical treatment, and expanded our international participation in related matters. Future cooperation will focus on "enhancing the quality of medical services in the Pacific community through national capacity-building and the integration of external resources."
Epidemics do not stop at national borders. No gap should be allowed in the global disease prevention network. Only by strengthening international health exchanges and cooperation can we effectively implement disease prevention measures on a global scale. Although Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations or the World Health Organization, we have never been, and will never be, absent from global health affairs.
Last year, we set up Taiwan International Health Action, or Taiwan IHA, to join rescue efforts in disaster areas around the globe. When natural disasters happen, Taiwan IHA is always among the first to arrive and work to help victims put their lives back together. Last year, Taiwan IHA was there after the mudslide in the Philippines' Southern Leyte Province, outbreak of avian flu in Burkina Faso, powerful earthquake in Indonesia's Yogyakarta City, and serious flooding in Kenya. This year, we were on the ground soon after the magnitude 6.3 quake that struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra as well as the tsunami that hit the Solomon Islands.
Taiwan is both willing and able to contribute to international medical and health affairs. I would like to take this opportunity to once again make this earnest appeal to the international community: Please support Taiwan's participation in the WHO, so as to ensure that the health rights of Taiwan's 23 million people are respected and to enable Taiwan's greater contribution to the well-being of all humankind.
The magazine National Geographic Traveler, read widely in the US, carried an extensive report on Taiwan in its November issue and praised this country as being "probably the best traveling destination in Asia." I hope that, after this conference, you will all take the time to experience Taiwan's natural beauty, its cuisine, and the warmth of our people. In closing, I would like to wish this forum success and all our distinguished guests health and happiness. Thank you!