Taiwan on Tuesday stated it was “disappointed and angry” with the World Health Organization (WHO) for not welcoming Taipei to sign up with this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) which began Monday.
Taiwan has actually been lobbying tough to join this year’s conference as an observer after its success with including the coronavirus break out. But it dealt with strong opposition from China, which claims Taiwan as its province without any right to its own diplomatic representation.
“We feel disappointed and angry about WHO’s decision of not inviting Taiwan to join this year’s WHA. We feel we have so much to share about our successful experiences in this Covid-19 outbreak response” stated Yi-Chun Lo, deputy director basic at Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.
On Monday, Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu stated the problem of its involvement would be postponed till later on in the year, so the assembly can concentrate on the coronavirus this time.
Despite its distance to China, Taiwan has actually just reported 440 coronavirus cases and 7 deaths up until now even without a massive lockdown.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday stated that the U.S. condemns Taiwan’s exemption from the WHA.
“No one disputes that Taiwan has mounted one of the world’s most successful efforts to contain the pandemic to date, despite its close proximity to the original outbreak in Wuhan, China,” Pompeo stated in a highly worded declaration.
Pompeo, a vocal China critic, likewise slammed Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus break out.
“Taiwan is a model world citizen, while the PRC (People’s Republic of China) continues to withhold vital information about the virus and its origins, deny access to their scientists and relevant facilities, censor discussion of the pandemic within China and on Chinese social media properties, and casts blame widely and recklessly,” stated Pompeo.
Taiwan has actually been applauded worldwide for its infection containment procedures that consisted of early control procedures at the borders, in the neighborhood and in health care settings. It likewise utilizes an advanced contact tracing and quarantine network, Lo informed CNBC’s “Street Signs” on Tuesday. The island has actually not published any domestic cases for more than a month and is positive that there is “zero” neighborhood spread at the minute, stated Lo.
He informed CNBC the island shares worries that China was not transparent with info about the break out at its beginning. The Taiwan CDC deputy director general likewise stated the WHO did not seriously relate to info from Taiwan in December that recommended possible human-to-human transmission. The WHO has actually contested Taiwan’s claims, stating that the island had actually not clearly interacted that info.
Taiwan in vaccine race
Due to its exemption from the WHO, Taiwan is depending on its own efforts in the race for a vaccine with health authorities dealing with academic community and other market partners, stated Lo.
“Our major concern is (that) because Taiwan is not included in WHO’s network, there might not be fair opportunity for Taiwan to get a share (from) the global vaccination program ,” stated Lo.
“So we have to have our own manufacturers (really work) very hard on producing vaccine for our domestic purpose,” he stated, including that Taiwan would more than happy to share any effective vaccine with the worldwide neighborhood.
Lo stated Taiwan’s interaction with the WHO is “minimal” even now which it is primarily an observer in the WHO’s scientific trial, transmittable illness control and vaccine trial networks with no authority or right for info.
“We are trying very hard to participate in the networks as much as possible, but the opportunity (has) not (been) granted fairly by the WHO so far since the start of the outbreak,” stated Lo.
