Sociopolitical

Health minister extols virtues of WHO participation

DOH Minister Yaung Chih-liang will lead the ROC delegation to the WHA meeting in Geneva May 17.(CNA)

• Publication Date：05/03/2010
• Source： Taiwan Today
• By  Chiayi Ho

The ROC’s participation as an observer in the governing body of the World Health Organization puts the people of Taiwan on par with the rest of the world in terms of medical cooperation, according to Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang.

“Participating in the WHO is a big step forward for Taiwan in joining the global public health network and expanding its international space,” Yaung said in an exclusive interview with “Taiwan Today” April 20.

On March 23, Taiwan was formally invited by the WHO to take part as an observer in the May 17 Geneva meeting of the World Health Assembly under the name “Chinese Taipei.” This was the second time the ROC has officially participated in a U.N. event since walking out of the world body in 1971.

For Yaung, Taiwan’s second WHA appearance is the direct result of ROC President Ma Ying-jeou’s pragmatic “flexible diplomacy” policy. “The improving status of cross-strait relations also played an important role in this breakthrough,” he said.

“Better relations between Taipei and Beijing are conducive to securing expanded participation for Taiwan in WHO technical meetings and increasing Taiwan’s international profile. This progress should be seen as reaping rewards from a cycle of success.”

According to the DOH, issues slated for discussion at the upcoming WHA meeting include pandemic flu prevention, health insurance, implementation of International Health Regulations, food safety and cracking down on counterfeit medicines.

In light of coordinated international efforts aimed at preventing influenza pandemics, Yaung said Taiwan’s IHR inclusion, to a large extent, can be credited with helping the country successfully manage its 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic.

Last January, Taiwan was included as a party to the WHO’s global rules that enhance national, regional and world public health security. IHR inclusion enables the island to contact the WHO directly and access the latest information on public health emergencies of international concern.

“Under the IHR framework, Taiwan is able to better share and obtain information regarding the production and effectiveness of influenza vaccines,” Yaung said. “Through the IHR Focal Point system, we can work closely with other WHO members to issue alerts for influenza-like cases and monitor them simultaneously.”

With international health and disease prevention requiring multilateral cooperation to combat epidemics such as the H1N1 outbreak, Yaung said Taiwan is more than willing to share its valuable experience in managing this epidemic.

Another area of Taiwan’s health expertise Yaung plans on sharing at the WHA meeting concerns the National Health Insurance system. “I am looking forward to exchanging opinions with representatives of other countries on this issue,” he said.

Launched March 1, 1995, Taiwan’s NHI is founded on the principle of providing equal access to healthcare services. As a mandatory and single-player social insurance plan, the NHI successfully delivers universal coverage, quality healthcare and convenient access to treatment while maintaining low premiums and keeping expenditures under control.

Taking great pride in Taiwan’s position as a healthcare system leader in Asia, Yaung said the NHI eliminates disparities in access between rich and poor. “In addition, close to 100-percent coverage for Taiwan’s 23 million people stands as a remarkable achievement in the region.”

Taiwan's NHI has been described by Paul Krugman, the 2008 Nobel Laureate in Economics, as one of the best healthcare systems in the world, but Yaung said working out how to maintain its top-flight access while shoring up funding problems remains a challenge for the government. “Considering the island’s rapidly aging population, low birthrates and users’ rising performance expectations, an overhaul of the NHI is desperately needed.”

To address this situation, the government is hard at work developing a second-generation NHI system.

“Achieving financial balance, equalizing premiums, providing transparent medical information and building a quality monitoring mechanism are all priority reform issues,” Yaung said, adding that public participation plays a key role in shaping the healthcare reform.

As to the country’s future WHO cooperation programs, Yaung said the government will focus on taking part in select initiatives that are in sync with Taiwan’s public health goals. “These include the International Food Safety Authorities Network and Stop TB Partnership,” he said.

INFOSAN, a joint initiative between WHO and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, aims to share information on food safety and manage risks through borderless collaboration. The Stop TB Partnership seeks to eliminate tuberculosis as a public health problem and to create a TB-free world.

Yaung also identifies working with the WHO’s Manila-based Regional Office for the Western Pacific, which plays a frontline role in dealing with health issues of public concern, as being of great benefit to the island. "It is critical we have this support in planning programs to deliver the highest attainable level of health for Taiwan’s population,” he said.

For the minister, securing greater participation for Taiwan in WHO technical meetings, along with determining an appropriate title for the nation’s delegation, are bridges that can be crossed at some point in the future. “Taiwan is ready, willing and able to expand its participation in all manner of WHO programs and activities,” Yaung said. “A deepening of our involvement will produce better health mission results on all fronts.” (JSM)

Write to Chiayi Ho at chiayi@mail.gio.gov.tw