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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, April 7, 2003

ISLAND VOICES
Taiwan should be allowed in WHO

Raymond Wang is director general of the Taipei Economical and Cultural Office in Honolulu.
By Raymond Wang

Due to the fact that people and goods move around more quickly than ever before in this fast-paced world, global disease prevention has become an important issue, and international cooperation is the key to safeguarding our living environment.

It was for this cause that the World Health Organization was established in 1948 with the objective of "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health."

The Republic of China had been a full and active member of WHO for 24 years and had made substantial contributions to the fulfillment of the organization's objectives until 1972, when Taiwan had to withdraw itself from all the international organizations, including WHO, because of mainland China's political pressure.

Taiwan has reached out a helping hand to the world. For example, last August, when upon learning that the state of Chuuk of the Federal States of Micronesia was seriously hit by a typhoon, the Tzu-Chi Foundation, a worldwide nonprofit charitable organization based in Taiwan, and its Honolulu chapter in cooperation with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu, immediately donated tons of medical supplies and services.

Recently, the outbreak of an unknown disease called severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), described as an "atypical pneumonia," has killed several people in China, Hong Kong and Vietnam. Taiwan's immediate participation in WHO is now more critical than ever because Taiwan's geographical location along with its advanced medical research facilities create a perfect niche to help identify, prevent and eradicate this deadly disease.

Taiwan is now a formal member of the World Trade Organization and has joined APEC as an "economic entity." Given the fact that Taiwan has a resilient economy, a vibrant democracy and possesses its own quarantine and health inspection systems that would help to achieve the objectives stipulated by the WHO constitution, Taiwan certainly can be regarded as a "health entity" and therefore qualified to join WHO as an observer.