2025-05-09

Joint Press Conference of 21 Professional Medical Societies in Taiwan ** One World for Health **

Taipei, In response to the core spirit of the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) theme "One World for Health," all 21 major healthcare associations in Taiwan gathered today to hold the joint press conference. The 21 major healthcare associations in Taiwan collectively called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to acknowledge Taiwan's contributions to global health and invite Taiwan to participate as an observer in this year's World Health Assembly.

The 78th WHA will be convened in Geneva on May 19, and Taiwan has not received an invitation for eight consecutive years. If Taiwan is not invited again this year, it will mark its ninth consecutive absence. In the face of global challenges such as climate change, emerging infectious disease threats, the burden of chronic diseases, and an aging society, countries around the world must unite and cooperate with transparent information sharing to effectively respond to crises. At this critical moment, Taiwan's experience and capabilities should not be overlooked. From Taiwan’s performance in COVID-19 prevention, medical technology, to international humanitarian aid, Taiwan has continuously made substantial contributions to global health, yet has long been excluded from the global public health system, clearly contradicting WHO's universal value that "health is a basic human right."

Nevertheless, the international community's support for Taiwan has never been absent. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan, the new U.S. government has facilitated statements of support for Taiwan's international participation in the aftermath of G7 foreign ministers' meetings and U.S.-Japan-Korea foreign ministers' discussions. Additionally, during the WHO Executive Committee meeting held in February this year, the U.S. openly expressed its support for Taiwan's participation in the WHO. Furthermore, the World Medical Association (WMA), representing millions of physicians worldwide, has once again sent a letter to WHO Secretary-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reiterating the necessity of Taiwan's participation in the WHA and its related mechanisms.

"Health knows no borders, and viruses have no nationality." Only through inclusiveness and cooperation can we achieve WHO's goal of "One World for Health." The 21 professional healthcare associations participating in this press conference represent over 500,000 healthcare professionals in Taiwan, and we unanimously urge the international community and WHO to adhere to the principle of "no one left behind," providing Taiwan the opportunity to contribute to global health.

At the end of the press conference, representatives of the 21 healthcare associations jointly declared our commitment to actively participate in international affairs, deepen global partnerships, and tirelessly promote the health and well-being of all humankind.