Taiwan and International Healthcare since 1995

Created by the Government Information Office in Taiwan:

In the early 1960s when Taiwan was still a poor country, many international friends such as the World Health Organization, the UNICEF, the US AID and the Rockefeller Foundation had generously helped Taiwan eradicate malaria, control tuberculosis, and promote healthcare for mothers and children. The success of these programs enabled Taiwan in later years to dispatch some 70 experts to the World Health Organization to offer Taiwan’s experiences to other countries.

However, since its forced withdrawal from the World Health Organization in 1972, Taiwan has been completely isolated from the international healthcare community. The remarkable contributions Medicins sans Frontires, or the development and achievements of international organizations of environmental protection, ecology, and human rights, are barely known in Taiwan. The campaign for international support to Taiwan’s membership in the World Health Organization thus has become a major policy of the government and a great wish of the 23 million people of Taiwan.

Though not a member of the United Nations, Taiwan has in the past decades realized an economic miracle, so much so as to be ranked 21st in economic entity, and 14th in trading. The foreign exchange reserves have remained the third highest in the world, and the per capita GDP is as high as US$ 14,000. Economically, Taiwan is as developed as any other developed countries. Taiwan is now ready, willing and capable of reciprocating to the international community.

In fact, Taiwan has given out humanitarian aids and succeeded in healthcare cooperation in the past years. But the contributions made by Taiwan’s government and non-governmental organizations are relatively unknown to the outside world. Government statistics and findings of an informal survey by the Department of Health show that since 1995 both government and private organizations have spent a total of US$ 100 millions in aid programs in 78 countries and areas, of which only 25 have diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Under the categories of “technical assistance and training in healthcare,” “medical aids and donations,” and “humanitarian aids,” they are:

1. Technical Assistance and Training in Healthcare -- Programs in this category include joint research, training of healthcare personnel, international conferences and symposiums, and technical transfers.

• Short-term training programs: 131 medical personnel from 21 countries have been in Taiwan at 10 public and private hospitals for short-term training of one year and less.
• TB control & family planning: The Department, in collaboration with the National Tuberculosis Association, and the Planned Parenthood Association of ROC, has organized training programs in tuberculosis control and family planning for some 190 foreign health workers.
• Anti-smoking programs: The John Tung’s Foundation has spent some US$ 720,000 in educational programs against tobacco hazards.
• Asia-Pacific regional program: The Catholic Sanipax Socio-Medical Service and Education Foundation, and the Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation have been to the Asia-Pacific region to train some 160 health education workers and nine craniofacial physicians respectively.

2. Medical Aids and Donations -- These include capital contributions and donations of drugs, medical devices (such as sutures, medical equipment, auxiliary aids, ambulances, etc.), and hospital facilities.

• In the last six years, 26 organizations have made US$ 66 million worth of donations to 55 countries, including 92 ambulances, and 6,257 wheel chairs by the Eden Social Welfare Foundation and the Buddha’s Light International Association, ROC. About 81% of these donations are financed by the government. Contributions by private organizations are difficult to estimate for lack of records.
• The Rotary International and WHO have spearheaded the global campaign to eradicate polio since 1985, and Taiwan Rotarians has contributed US$ 9.2 million since 1995.
• The Eden Social Welfare Foundation, since becoming a member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmine (ICBL) in 1997, has donated 2,497 wheel chairs to landmine victims of nine countries in Asia-Pacific region, Central Asia, Africa and Europe to help them start a new life.
• The Kiwanis International ROC District has since 1995, in coordination with the UNICEF’s global elimination of iodine deficiency project, donated some US$ 210,000 to help over eight million children in the world.
• Other organizations in this category include the National Tuberculosis Association, Taipei China, the Planned Parenthood Association of ROC, the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China, National Kidney Foundation ROC, National Blind Association, National Zen Association, Chinese Fund for Children and Families/Taiwan, Chinese Relief Association, Taipei Municipal Chung Hsiao Hospital, Taipei City Import and Export Association, Taiwan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Yungshun Pharmaceutical Company, Ming Daw Culture Center, Fo Guang Shan Nan Hua Temple, Health, Welfare and Environmental Foundation, Puli Christian Hospital, Caritas Taiwan ROC, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung, Caleb Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu-Chi Foundation, etc.

3. Humanitarian Aids -- Medical teams are sent to countries in need of health education, communicable disease control, medical care services, or of timely disasters relief with drugs and supplies.

• The Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation has, since 1998, been to Asia-Pacific countries to operate on 280 cleft palate patients. The four hospitals of the Foundation send medical teams regularly to Asia-Pacific countries for medical services. One physician stays in northern Thailand; and two health workers are in Kazakhstan for health and welfare services.
• The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu-Chi Foundation is an outstanding medical aid organization of Taiwan. The Foundation has been to 44 countries in the six continents for health and medical care in the past years.
• The Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps is a non-governmental organization for humanitarian relief and care. In the past years, the Corps has spent more than US$ 890,000 for relief and medical care in remote areas of the third world countries.

Taiwan will benefit from and contribute to the international healthcare communities if it be admitted to the World Health Organization as a member, or as an observer. With its experience and financial resources, Taiwan will work hand in hand with other countries in the world to make this world a better and healthier place for everyone to live in, because we believe it is our greatest responsibility to the world, because we remember that the world had at one time helped us grow and prosper.