It is very unfortunate that Taiwan did not receive its invitation to attend the 70th World Health Assembly (WHA) this year. For the past eight years, Taiwan has consecutively participated in WHA meetings as an observer and has made important contributions to world health throughout the duration. There is absolutely no reason why this year should prove an exception.
The right to health is a most basic human right. No one anywhere in the world should be excluded from the global health system. While Taiwan needs the WHO, the WHO also needs Taiwan. If Taiwan is able to continue participating in the WHA it still has a great deal left to contribute.
The fact that the WHO has bowed to political pressure and denied Taiwan an invitation is a grave affront to the WHO’s founding principles. While Taiwan’s participation in these vital international organisations is faced with great challenges, we are not without our supporters, and we are fortunate that our diplomatic allies have sent a letter to the director-general of the WHO requesting that the proposal to invite Taiwan to the WHA with observer status is included in the Assembly’s agenda.
Support for Taiwan amongst likeminded countries and the press has also been gathering. Leading figures in the United States, Japan, the UK, and Canada have voiced their support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the assembly, and our exclusion has been given favourable coverage in the BBC and Time magazine. The government of Taiwan greatly appreciates this support, which is crucial to ensuring the fair treatment of Taiwan’s 23 million people.
