Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Tzou-yien met with Premier Lin Chuan this morning to deliver a report on the Taiwan delegation's trip to the World Health Assembly (WHA), Executive Yuan Spokesperson Tung Chen-yuan said at a press event today.
The premier was extremely pleased with Minister Lin's completion of this difficult mission, Tung said. As Taiwan looks to participate in more WHA activities in the future, the premier pledged the Executive Yuan's full support.
Earlier this week at the 69th WHA in Geneva, Minister Lin led the Taiwan delegation in 45 bilateral talks with representatives including from the United States, Japan and the European Union, exchanging views on health, medical care and other topics of mutual concern. Minister Lin also delivered a five-minute speech at the plenary session on May 25 while delegation members spoke at over 30 side meetings and technical meetings throughout the conference.
Regarding the minister's speech, the parties involved in drafting the speech followed the principles of expertise, practicality and contribution and had revised the speech according to the actual situation at the meeting, Minister Lin said. As for differing ideas from the public on what to include in the speech, the minister said society's diverse opinions are a motivation to act, and it is a good sign because it meant there was room for improvement. He promised that the delegation will endeavor to deliver a better performance next time.
Asked why the word "Taiwan" was not mentioned in the speech, Minister Lin explained that Taiwan's official title at the WHA is "Chinese Taipei," and that both "Chinese Taipei" and "Taiwan" had been used at the past seven WHA meetings. On the issue of this title, Taiwan has delivered a statement of protest to the World Health Organization's legal advisor, rejecting the restrictions of any political framework and protesting the delayed arrival of the invitation letter.
Deputy Foreign Minister Leo Lee added that Taiwan's title at the WHA is determined by WHA protocols. While such usage is unsatisfactory, Taiwan accepts it reluctantly for the sake of participating in international organizations.
Asked by the media how he judged the delegation's performance, Minister Lin replied that he, like some in Taiwan, felt indignant over the use of Chinese Taipei, but the matter only serves as motivation to make improvements. Moving forward, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will form an advisory panel of scholars and medical professionals to promote greater participation at WHA events.
As for specific achievements brought back from the WHA, the health minister said that the delegation engaged in deep communications on key issues with various countries. The U.S., for instance, agreed to send experts to Taiwan for joint research on a dengue vaccine for the elderly. Talks with Japan included lengthy discussions on long-term care and the aging society, as Japan has extensive experience caring for a large elderly population. Fruitful discussions with other countries covered topics of permanent medical missions, mobile medical teams and assistive devices.