Taiwan to donate flu medicine to WHO

05/16/2009 (Taiwan News)

Taiwan will donate US$5 million worth of vaccines or medicine to the World Health Organization (WHO) this year to help it fight the swine flu outbreak, the nation's top health official said yesterday.

Yeh Ching-chuan, minister of the Department of Health, made the remarks prior to his departure later in the day for Geneva, where he will attend the annual meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA), scheduled for Monday to Friday.

The WHA is the highest decision-making body of the WHO.

Yeh said Premier Liu Chao-shiuan has directed local authorities to donate US$5 million worth of vaccines or medicines to help the WHO fight against the new flu, which in principle will be purchased in Taiwan.

But Yeh said Taiwan has yet to coordinate with the WHO Secretariat on the specifics of the donation and how it will be given to the WHO.

Liu also directed that Taiwan donate US$5 million a year in principle, Yeh said, adding that the DOH will also discuss the use of the annual donation with the WHO Secretariat.

Yeh will lead a 15-member delegation comprised of health officials and experts to attend the WHA meeting, marking the first time that the country has been allowed to participate in a meeting or activity of United Nations agencies since losing its U.N. membership to China in 1971.

This is also the first time Taiwan will be allowed to take part in the WHA as an observer after 12 failed attempts.

He said the government's stance on serving as an observer will be "give and take."

On the one hand, the government will donate US$5 million worth of vaccines or medicines to the WHO, but on the other hand, it will ask the WHO to reciprocate by assisting Taiwan in fighting swine flu, accredit the flu laboratory of the DOH's Centers for Disease Control, and help Taiwan's flu vaccine and pharmaceutical plants to meet WHO criteria.