Taiwan’s medical missions in Swaziland
Over 100,000 benefit from Taiwan's medical missions in Africa
2015/01/13 17:40:36
Taipei, Jan. 13 Taiwan's medical missions in Africa have benefited more than 100,000 people in Burkina Faso, Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principe over the past two decades, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.
The ministry has been working closely with Taiwanese hospitals to provide assistance to improve medical services and public health in its African allies, said John Lai, director-general of the ministry's Department of International Cooperation and Economic Affairs, at a regular news briefing.
To improve medical services in Burkina Faso, Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principe, Taiwanese medical missions have been working with hospitals there and transferring medical skills and concepts to them since 1996, the ministry said.
So far, more than 100,000 have benefitted from the cooperative programs, Lai said.
In addition to its long-term medical missions, Taiwan has sent medical groups to offer short-term medical services and training programs for medical staff in Fiji, Papua New Guinea and its six diplomatic allies in the Pacific -- Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and the Solomon Islands, the ministry said.
These programs have helped more than 50,000, it added.
The ministry said it will continue its efforts to help improve medical services and public health in its diplomatic allies -- mostly Pacific, African, Central American and Caribbean countries.
