WHO official says Taiwan receives adequate benefits

This article was published by the Taiwan Headlines on May 19, 2006. It reports that according to the World Health Organization's Assistant Director-General Denis Aitken, Taiwan receives adequate assistance from the international health organization in spite of its non-member status. Aitken also pointed out that he did not think Taiwan's 10th attempt to join the World Health Organization in 2006 would have any different result from the previous years.

According to Aitken, the "memorandum of understanding" signed between China and the World Trade Organization in May 2005 has proven to be "successful". The memorandum is a mechanism designed to "facilitate technical changes between Taiwan and WHO". Since it was signed, Taiwanese health authorities have been allowed to attend several events sponsored by the World Health Organization, without obstruction from the Chinese government.

According to Aitken, the memorandum of understanding stipulates that Taiwan is permitted to ask for direct help from the World Health Organization if a health crisis breaks out on the island.

However, Aitken neglected to mention that according to the memorandum of understanding, China reserves the right to appoint the Taiwanese representatives to any of the meetings sponsored by the World Health Organization. The memorandum further stipulates that Taiwanese representatives have to attend these meetings under the same "Taiwan, China", a requirement that is seen by Taiwan as denigrating its sovereignty.

According to Aitken, since Taiwan has already voluntarily adopted the International Health Regulation 2005, it is covered under the regulation's framework and should not experience any missing link in global epidemic prevention. On the other hand, under the current political climate, it may not be judicious for Taiwan to participate in the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.

This is despite Aitken's promise that Taiwan would be treated with the same courtesy as a member country and that the World Health Organization would keep Taiwan posted on any new information about the network. The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network is a technical collaboration of existing institutions and networks to keep the international community constantly alert to the threat of outbreaks and ready to respond. According to Aitken, so far, Taiwan's application to participate in the network has not yet been decided.

According to Aitken, because not all member countries are invited to all the meetings sponsored by the World Health Organization, Taiwan has not been treated unfairly. Furthermore, in 2003, officials from the World Health Organization were dispatched to Taiwan during the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. "It was the first time that any WHO officials were sent to Taiwan since 1972. Since then, all the interactions between WHO and Taiwan have been positive," Aitken said.

In 2006, Taiwan is applying not only for observer status in the World Health Assembly, but also for having "meaningful participation" in the World Health Organization. Being involved in the aforementioned Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network is one of Taiwan's major goals. This is Taiwan's tenth consecutive attempt to re-enter the World Health Organization since its expulsion from the international health organization in 1972.