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Taiwan to donate US$5 million worth of flu medicine to WHO

ROC Central News Agency

2009.05.15 19:05:48

By Lilian Wu

Taipei, May 15 (CNA) Taiwan will donate US$5 million worth of vaccines or medicine to the World Health Organization (WHO) this year to help it fight the swine flu outbreak, the nation's top health official said Friday.

Yeh Ching-chuan, minister of the Department of Health, made the remarks prior to his departure later in the day for Geneva, where he will attend the annual meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA) , scheduled for May 18-22. The WHA is the highest decision-making body of the WHO.

Yeh said Premier Liu Chao-shiuan has directed local authorities to donate US$5 million worth of vaccines or medicines to help the WHO fight against the new flu, which in principle will be purchased in Taiwan.

But Yeh said Taiwan has yet to coordinate with the WHO Secretariat on the specifics of the donation and how it will be given to the WHO.

Liu also directed that Taiwan donate US$5 million a year in principle, Yeh said, adding that the DOH will also discuss the use of the annual donation with the WHO Secretariat.

Yeh will lead a 15-member delegation comprised of health officials and experts to attend the WHA meeting, marking the first time that the country has been allowed to participate in a meeting or activity of United Nations agencies since losing its U.N. membership to China in 1971.

This is also the first time Taiwan will be allowed to take part in the WHA as an observer after 12 failed attempts.

He said the government's stance on serving as an observer will be "give and take." On the one hand, the government will donate US$5 million worth of vaccines or medicines to the WHO, but on the other hand, it will ask the WHO to reciprocate by assisting Taiwan in fighting swine flu, accredit the flu laboratory of the DOH's Centers for Disease Control, and help Taiwan's flu vaccine and pharmaceutical plants to meet WHO criteria.

Yeh said that at the meeting, he will have the opportunity to mingle with his counterparts from other countries, and give a speech to leave an official record that Taiwan participated in the meeting.

Yeh said that all WHA members and observers are entitled to register to speak at the general discussion session of the meeting, but observers can only speak after formal members complete their speeches.

"We should have the opportunity to make a five-minute report at the session and explain the significance of Taiwan's participation in the WHA," he said.

Participating in the first UN-affiliated meeting, he also expects to have good exchanges with China's counterpart, Health Minister Chen Zhu.

Yeh said that it will only be natural for him to have exchanges with Chen, saying that the two could discuss issues beneficial to Taiwan and China.

He cited as examples infection case notification, flu-fighting cooperation, Chinese herbal medicine management, pharmaceutical and biotech verification, Taiwan businessmen seeking safe medical treatment in China, and medical and pharmaceutical exchanges.

Taiwan received a letter from the WHO late last month inviting it to attend as an observer at the WHA's annual meeting.

The letter, addressed to Yeh and signed by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, extended the invitation to "the Department of Health, Chinese Taipei."