A public health workshop kicked off April 25 in Taipei City as part of the Taiwan-U.S. Global Cooperation and Training Framework, a platform launched in June 2015 for expanding collaboration between the two sides on regional and international issues.
The four-day event, titled the International Training Workshop on Laboratory Diagnosis for Dengue/Zika/Chikungunya, aims to improve medical workers’ capacity to diagnose mosquito-borne diseases. During the workshop, the Centers for Disease Control under the Ministry of Health and Welfare will present its self-developed three-in-one laboratory test for the three mosquito-borne viruses.
Experts from the U.S. Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences and Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases are among those scheduled to deliver lectures at the workshop. Dozens of senior laboratory professionals from 18 nations, including New Southbound Policy target countries as well as Haiti, Japan and Papua New Guinea, are expected to attend the event.
The New Southbound Policy, a key component of President Tsai Ing-wen’s national development strategy, seeks to deepen business, cultural, education and tourism links with the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, six South Asian states, as well as Australia and New Zealand.
Dignitaries including Vice President Chen Chien-jen, MOHW Minister Chen Shih-chung, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Leo Chen-jan Lee as well as American Institute in Taiwan Chairman James Moriarty and AIT Director Kin Moy were in attendance at the opening ceremony of the workshop, the fourth public health-related event held so far under the GCTF initiative.
Since the launch of the framework, Taiwan has held a total of seven international workshops in collaboration with the U.S. on issues such as e-commerce, energy efficiency, public health and women’s empowerment. At the end of 2016, more than 100 representatives from 21 nations had attended these events. (KWS-E)
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