Fan Hou-lu Writes to Australian Media, Urging WHO and WHA to Include Taiwan's Participation

Central News Agency (CNA reporter Chiu Te-chen, Sydney, 17th) — Fan Hou-lu, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane, emphasized in a letter to 'Australia India News' that the World Health Assembly (WHA) should include Taiwan's participation based on the principle of 'inclusivity,' allowing Taiwan's medical expertise and experience to contribute to the international community. The latest issue of 'Australia India News' on the 15th published Fan's letter titled 'Global Health, Scientific Cooperation and the Case for Taiwan's Participation.' In the letter, Fan stated that the world is currently facing global health challenges such as emerging infectious diseases, aging populations, and chronic illnesses. As health knows no borders, no country can solve these problems alone. This requires international cooperation based on science, transparency, and shared responsibility. Fan pointed out that the unreasonable situation of Taiwan's continued exclusion from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the WHA has drawn increasing international attention. He mentioned that Taiwan possesses one of the most advanced healthcare systems in Asia; for instance, Taiwan has a comprehensive National Health Insurance, electronic medical record exchange and a medical cloud platform, highly digitally innovative integrated medical technology and systems, as well as the use of artificial intelligence for disease risk prediction, long-term care monitoring systems, and telemedicine in remote areas. Fan believes that Taiwan can share these successful healthcare experiences and cooperate pragmatically with the international community to jointly pursue the WHO's 'Health for All' goal and establish a sustainable global healthcare system. Fan mentioned the contribution of the Taiwanese community in Queensland, Australia, to local healthcare; for example, the Tzu Chi Foundation's Brisbane branch has long conducted free clinics in remote and disadvantaged communities in Queensland. In 2021, Taiwan Adventist Hospital signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mater Foundation in Brisbane to promote exchanges and cooperation in medical research, clinical training, and hospital management. Fan explained that the cooperation agreement between Taiwan Adventist Hospital and the Mater Foundation marks an important step in the collaboration between medical institutions in Taiwan and Queensland. Fan reminded that Taiwan has always been excluded from the global health system, creating a gap in international health. This not only weakens the overall global response capability and leads to the loss of many opportunities for medical information exchange but also has a broad impact on global health security. He emphasized that the principles of 'inclusivity,' transparency, and timely access to information cannot be ignored. He called for Taiwan's participation in the WHA as the only way to effectively prevent diseases, hoping for cooperation from Australia and the international community to realize the WHO's goals.