Taiwan International Health Action (Taiwan IHA) held a press conference on March 30 in Kun Lun Hall on the 12th floor of the Grand Hotel, Taipei. A reception was also held later that day in the Grand Hotel’s Grand Ball Room at which President Chen, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-ping, Dr Kgosi Letlap of the World Medical Association (WMA) and other distinguished local and foreign guests spoke. President Chen also hosted a plaque dedication ceremony that day.

The following day, Taiwan IHA held the “International Meeting on Avian Flu and Global Health Security Network” in the International Conference Room, on the 2nd floor of the Foreign Affairs Service Institute building. More than 70 people from the medical community in Taiwan, and those in other countries, participated.

Taiwan IHA is a unified ad hoc task force covering different department and agencies. Its purpose is to effectively integrate the different resources and strengths of the government and the private sector into a one-stop window to participate in international health and humanitarian aid projects. Taiwan IHA demonstrates Taiwan’s efforts to give back to the international community by contributing to, and cooperating on, international health issues.

It is through Taiwan IHA that Taiwan will be able to pursue the ideal of “enjoyment of the highest possible standard of health”, which, according to the Constitution of the WHO, is “one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition”.

Despite not being a member of the WHO, Taiwan actively cooperates on numerous international health projects and provides much humanitarian assistance as part of its responsibility to the international community. Taiwan is never absent when emergency assistance is needed, and continues to dispatch medical teams around the world. These efforts have been highly recognised and praised internationally.

Taiwan IHA serves as a platform on which Taiwan can better work hand-in-hand with institutions and experts around the world. It is hoped that the international community will recognise Taiwan’s public health contributions globally, and will further encourage, and cooperate with, Taiwan. In this way, Taiwan can join the international community in attaining the highest health rights and welfare for people everywhere.