2023-8-8

Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu met with David O. Barbe, former president of the World Medical Association (WMA) and the American Medical Association (AMA), on July 14. Wu thanked the WMA for its strong support of Taiwan in the World Health Organization (WHO) and underlined that Taiwan should not be excluded from the global health system. He also pledged that Taiwan would continue to contribute to international humanitarian efforts. 

Looking back on developments since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic three years ago, Wu said that Taiwan had raised the alarm before the outbreak spread internationally. As the situation worsened, Taiwan actively shared its experiences in tackling the crisis and donated much needed antipandemic supplies to countries around the world. However, Taiwan is still excluded from WHO and cannot access timely information and assistance. The unfairness of this situation was illustrated during the SARS outbreak in 2003. Taiwan will continue to campaign for WHO observer status and participation in related mechanisms. Wu thanked the WMA for speaking out in support of Taiwan’s WHO bid.

Barbe thanked the Taiwanese medical sector for making him feel so welcome. He said he was honored to be invited to speak at the Taiwan Association of Family Medicine’s annual conference and added that Taiwan is an important member of the WMA. Barbe said the WMA deeply regrets that Taiwan is blocked from the global health system for political reasons. The WMA will continue to overcome the obstacles to speak up for Taiwan.