Vice President Chen Chien-jen delivered a keynote speech in a videoconference May 7 hosted by the Hoover Institution of Stanford University in the U.S. where he expounded on Taiwan’s experiences combating coronavirus.
In the prerecorded speech, Chen also discussed the role Taiwan can play in managing the global health crisis and the impact of the country’s exclusion from the World Health Organization.
Titled “Taiwan and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons for the World,” the event featured experts and scholars from both sides, as well as Jonathan Moore, principal deputy assistant secretary of state of the U.S. Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
An epidemiologist trained at U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University, Chen said Taiwan’s experience with the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak caused the country to overhaul its epidemic prevention system.
Subsequent measures adopted include enforcing strict reporting of suspected cases, strengthening quarantine and screening protocols, ensuring ample medical supplies and recruiting more specialists in infectious diseases, Chen said.
The preparation has paid off, as evidenced by Taiwan’s low number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths despite the country’s proximity to Wuhan, China, where the disease originated, he added.
According to Chen, three principles underpin the Taiwan Model for combating coronavirus: prudent action, rapid response and early deployment. These are backed by a transparent government communicating early and often with the public, he said.
Global cooperation is also key to fighting COVID-19, Chen said, highlighting events held under the Taiwan-U.S. Global Cooperation and Training Framework and donations of more than 17 million surgical masks made to allies and like-minded partners as key examples demonstrating how Taiwan Can Help.
Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHO system not only jeopardizes the rights and interests of its 23 million people, but also poses a danger to the rest of the world by leaving a gap in the global disease-prevention network, he added.
The WHO should grant Taiwan full participation in its activities, mechanisms and meetings, Chen said, adding the country is willing and able to help the international community manage the pandemic. (SFC-E)