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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Health minister awarded public health honor
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, left, receives a “Diplomat of the Global Charter” award from Michael Moore of the World Federation of Public Health Associations in Geneva, Switzerland, on Saturday. Photo: CNA
PROUD: Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung said the award proved that Taiwan’s strength in public health has been recognized globally
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The World Federation of Public Health Associations on Saturday named Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung （陳時中） as “Diplomat of the Global Charter.”
As Taiwan has not received an official invitation to attend this year’s World Health Assembly （WHA）, the nation’s “WHA Action Team” delegation, comprising Ministry of Health and Welfare officials led by Chen, departed for Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday last week to meet with world leaders on the sidelines of the event.
Chen was awarded the title on the day that the delegation arrived in Geneva, and in his reception speech, he attributed the award to the dedication shown by all of the nation’s public health professionals in defending the health of 23 million Taiwanese.
Nations should work together to find solutions to health challenges in an interconnected world, he said, adding: “We Taiwanese are proud to work with the federation in any way we can.”
While Taiwan is not a member of the WHO, it has since 1995 achieved universal health coverage through the cost-effective single-payer National Health Insurance system, which has significantly increased life expectancy, while keeping administrative costs at less than 1 percent of the total expenditure.
Taiwan could share the system’s success with the global community, especially through participation in the WHA and other WHO activities, Chen said.
“This proves that Taiwan’s strength in public health has been recognized by international professional organizations,” Chen told reporters. “Although the title is awarded to me as an individual, I am actually accepting it on behalf of Taiwan, and as we are being suppressed [by China], we feel especially proud to receive this award.”
“We will express our opinion on every public occasion that the WHO’s decision [to not invite Taiwan to attend the WHA] was a mistake, and while being unfair to Taiwan, it will also harm global safety,” he added.
While attending a “Hospital Without Borders” exhibition held by Taiwan’s medical associations in Geneva to showcase the nation’s global healthcare contributions, Chen said that Taiwan is the world’s 17th-largest exporter and the 18th-largest importer, but it is still denied participation in the WHA, making it an international orphan.
“Why do those people hate Taiwan? Is it because our voices are not loud enough or our will is not strong enough? Or because they do not know enough about Taiwan? Or is it because the ‘red sandstorm’ is too powerful?” he said, referring to China’s obstruction.
“The sandstorm is coming and we cannot stop it. We can only do our best to breathe and strive for space. The sandstorm will end one day, and we will survive through it,” he added.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
