Civil groups around the world are campaigning for Taiwan to have a voice in global health discussions, just weeks before the World Health Organization’s annual meeting, to which Taiwan has once more not been invited.
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00:00Health has no borders. That's the message from Taiwan as it ups its campaign for entry
00:06into international health organisations. From op-eds in newspapers in the UK and Sweden,
00:11to civil group gatherings in the Philippines and Australia, ahead of this year's World
00:15Health Assembly later this month, Taiwan wants the world to know that its exclusion is harmful
00:20to global health. Taiwan has historically been excluded from the WHA, the decision-making
00:25body of the World Health Organisation, due to pressure from China, which claims Taiwan
00:30as its own. Taiwan was granted observer status under the name Chinese Taipei from 2009-2016,
00:37when the more China-friendly Kuomintang held the presidency, but hasn't been invited since.
00:43Despite not receiving the invitation to join again this year, Taiwan has announced plans
00:47to send an action team anyway. Though they won't be able to attend any official meetings,
00:52they will continue to garner support from the sidelines.
01:18With its 30-year-old national health system often ranked among the best in the world,
01:22and as a leader in AI technology, Taiwan says it has a lot to contribute to the future of
01:26global healthcare. Health Minister Chiu Taiyuan is urging the United Nations to stick to its
01:31vision of leaving no one behind, arguing that health is a fundamental human right and should
01:37not be politicised. But as with anything related to Taiwan's place in the international community,
01:42the subject is inevitably political.
01:45And with civic groups planning to mobilise people from over 50 countries to help Taiwan's case,
01:51including an event outside the UN office in Geneva the day before the assembly begins,
01:56Taiwan's push for better health for all is also a chance to campaign for its position on the global stage.
02:04Devon Tai and Rhys Ayers for Taiwan Plus.