Commentary

Everyone is a winner

• Publication Date：09/04/2009
• Source： Taiwan Today
• By  Dennis V. Hickey

When it comes to ROC government efforts to secure a “voice” for Taiwan’s 23 million people in the World Health Organization, the old adage “good things come to those who wait” is particularly salient. Yet, despite the strong and steadfast support of leaders in the international community—including Washington and Tokyo—Taipei’s drive for WHO participation made little headway until recently.

In January, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton framed Taiwan’s WHO participation as a matter of international public health and suggested that the United States should work with Taiwan to “correct the situation.” After learning that Taipei would be allowed to participate in the global body, U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood said Washington had “long supported” Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the WHO, including observer status at the World Health Assembly.

“We look forward to the participation of Taiwan in the WHA and the benefits its public health expertise will bring to the international community,” Wood said. This statement underscores the fact that Taipei’s participation in the WHO represents a win-win situation for the global community.

As might be expected, Tokyo also applauded the WHO decision. After learning of the breakthrough, the Japanese Foreign Ministry announced that Japan had consistently supported Taiwan’s participation in the WHA as an observer. “Its non-participation in the WHO has created a geographic gap in implementing countermeasures against infectious diseases, given that as many as 2.5 million people move between Japan and Taiwan every year.”

The ministry added that bringing Taiwan into the global disease prevention network is timely and significant, as the WHO and international community are in the midst of serious efforts to counter the swine flu outbreak. “Japan will monitor this situation closely in the hope that Taiwan’s WHA involvement will be realized smoothly and continuously.”

There is a common thread that weaves its way through both the American and Japanese statements. Namely, Taiwan’s participation in the WHO will bring benefits to the entire global community. Moreover, it is clear that the timing of this decision could not be better as health authorites around the world face increasing challenges from HIV, SARS, the Ebola virus and influenza A (H1N1), along with diseases once considered in decline such as tuberculosis and the West Nile virus.

In fact, according to a report released by the White House Aug. 24, this year’s flu season may infect as much as half the U.S. population and cause between 30,000 and 90,000 deaths. The WHO has warned that as many as 2 billion people—nearly a third of the world’s population—could become infected.

To be sure, the international community stands to benefit from Taipei’s participation in the WHO. Taiwan was the first Asian country to rid itself of polio and also the first in the world to provide children with free hepatitis B vaccinations. In short, its efforts to promote public health have yielded dividends that are recognized globally. Moreover, Taiwan possesses the resources required to assist other countries. It is now in a position to help the developing world through sharing its knowledge and assisting the less fortunate.

Another area in which the world health community benefits from welcoming Taiwan into the fold is the creation of a seamless epidemic management system. In January 2001, the executive board of the WHO warned that “the globalization of infectious diseases is such that an outbreak in one country is potentially a threat to the whole world.” A virus originating in Indonesia may spread to Taiwan and onward to Japan or America in less than 24 hours. Taipei’s active participation in the WHA will go a long way to help close what Tokyo aptly described as a “geographic gap” in public health.

And this is not the only “gap” that will close as a result of Taiwan’s WHO participation. Taipei and Beijing have long been poles apart on this issue, with mainland China’s opposition representing a lost opportunity for cooperation between the two sides of the strait. Now, they can join forces and work together to combat medical emergencies like swine flu or SARS and promote public health. An additional bonus is that Taiwan’s people are now less likely to view the mainland as “unfriendly” or “hostile.”

A final area in which the people of Taiwan stand to gain is in having greater access to vital health information. Although the details are yet to be worked out, it is anticipated that the island’s health officials and medical professionals will now be able to take part in important medical meetings or workshops concerning issues related to public health. Keeping abreast of the latest WHO updates will help in the fight against the spread of infectious diseases and represents a major achievement for Taiwan’s medical community.

In the past, the costs of excluding Taiwan from the WHO were incalculable. The nation’s people suffered, the health of the international community was jeopardized, the developing world lost priceless medical expertise, and cross-strait relations were undermined. But things have changed. Now everyone in Taiwan, the Chinese mainland and the global community stands to win from Taipei’s WHO participation.

—Dennis V. Hickey is the James F. Morris Professor of Political Science at Missouri State University. These views are the author’s and not necessarily those of “Taiwan Today.”
Copyright © 2009 by Dennis V. Hickey

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