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John Metzler Archive
Wednesday, May 16, 2007

China's 'Great Wall' excludes Taiwan, sacrifices world health

NEW YORK — Imagine treating health care issues in which longtime and easily available medicines such as penicillin were not part of the cure? Imagine looking at contemporary medical technology and omitting the available and widespread use of MRI imaging for diagnosis? Now imagine the still looming threat of Asian Bird Flu pandemic, and consider excluding a key regional country who has both the public health expertise and the moral willingness to help, being crudely barred from the solution?

The World Health Organization (WHO) a Geneva-based UN agency has 193 members comprising a global clearing house of public health programs, vital information exchange, training and research. WHO’s work in developing countries has been hailed but its ostracism of one of its own founding members the Republic of China on Taiwan is simply not healthy.

Located on the crossroads of East Asia, Taiwan serves as an important hub for airline passenger traffic and commerce. Conversely the island could also be in the frontline of any avian flu transmissions from Mainland China, Vietnam or Southeast Asia. Disease knows no boundaries and that is precisely why Taiwan’s medical expertise and public health experience remains so very vital as a firewall to disease transmission.

For the past decade Taiwan has tried to gain access to the World Health Assembly as an observer. Despite political support from the United States Congress, the European Parliament, Japan and others, its bids were blocked by Beijing. This year Taiwan applied for full formal membership in WHO only to be sidelined by procedure which blocked even discussion of the issue. WHO Director Dr, Margaret Chan of Hong Kong has applied classic Beijing Rules despite the WHO’s own constitution stressing the universality of membership.

Sadly the Great Wall of China’s exclusion means that many developing countries will simply not have easy access to Taiwan’s impressive medical technology and its willingness to share it. But beyond the issues of universality and public conscience, let’s look at a forgotten chapter of Taiwan’s success story. Few observers (even including the Chinese communists) would deny that Taiwan has achieved an extraordinary social and economic miracle since the political division of China in 1949. The island of Taiwan, ravished by WWII had to later surmount formidable re-building and economic hurdles. Less known was the poor state of public health in the early days of Nationalist rule.

Indeed there were many striking parallels with today’s developing countries. Endemic diseases were common. Life expectancy was poor. Public health infrastructure was limited at best. Dr. Shing-jer Twu, a former Minister of Health and Chair of the Taiwan AIDS Foundation stressed, “Malaria was a killer in the 20th century — it was eradicated by 1965 thanks to the WHO.” He added today Taiwan’s life expectancy is “on a level with developed states.”

From 1945 through the 1970’s Taiwan made massive health expenditures on a basic level — vaccines, clinics, etc. Had health standards not improved, would Taiwan’s educational, social and economic development been as achievable? Not likely.

Today Taiwan’s universal health system stands out as a pioneer in prevention and treatment. Dr. Twu stressed, “In the past we were helped by others, now we would like to help others.”

Over the past decade Taiwan has donated $450 million in medical and humanitarian aid to scores of countries in the developing world especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Taiwan health specialist teams are active in places as diverse as Burkina Faso, Malawi, Swaziland and throughout the South Pacific.

So it is only logical and indeed fair that Taiwan wishes to re-join the WHO. Unquestionably part of the move has to do with Taiwan’s vibrant democracy and the tug of political fortunes between the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition Nationalists (KMT). With Presidential elections scheduled for next March, such hot button political issues such as Taiwan’s global status, especially in the perennial face-off with rival Mainland China, energize the political scene. Importantly, despite incessant political tumult in the parliament in Taipei, both major parties unanimously supported the bid to use the name Taiwan to join the WHO.

Dr. Winston Dang the Director of the DPP’s Department of International Affairs implored, “This is a public health issue, not just politics.” Dr. Dang stressed that the People’s Republic of China contributes only one percent of the WHO budget while the USA contributes 24 percent and thus by implication authoritarian Beijing should not be able to set the agenda to block democratic Taiwan.

“Health is beyond boundaries,” echoed Ambassador Andrew Hsia, Taipei’s representative in New York who added sadly, “Taiwan is being denied the channel to make a contribution to the world community.” But does WHO care?


John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.


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