U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) led 15 of his GOP Doctors Caucus colleagues in advocating for Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Organization (WHO).
The members expressed “deep concern” with the WHO’s “continued marginalization of Taiwan’s participation in the WHO’s meetings, mechanisms and activities,” in a May 20 letter sent to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Your organization’s ongoing exclusion of Taiwan deprives the right to health of the Taiwanese people and jeopardizes global health, while harming both the integrity of the WHO and the health security of all Member States,” wrote Rep. Carter and his colleagues, who included U.S. Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Michael Burgess (R-TX), John Joyce (R-PA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), and Larry Bucshon (R-IN).
The lawmakers pointed out in their letter that Taiwan is a leader in public health, an important contributor to international humanitarian aid work, and was also one of the first to alert the WHO of the possibility of human-to-human transmission of mysterious pneumonia in Wuhan, China — which later became the coronavirus.
“This is a stark reminder that combating hazardous and unpredictable communicable diseases requires global unity and coordination,” Rep. Carter and the members wrote. “Leaving any one region out of the global health network creates a gap that undermines global health and safety. Taiwan’s exclusion thus far has been an egregious handicap to the WHO and its member states’ health security.”
The lawmakers urged the WHO director-general to extend an invitation to Taiwan to participate in this month’s 75th World Health Assembly being held in Geneva, and to invite Taiwan to attend all meetings, mechanisms and activities of the WHO.