Saint Lucia is advocating on behalf of the Republic of China (Taiwan) for Taiwan’s inclusion in activities and meetings led by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Taiwan, known for its proactive and successful health initiatives, has the support of Saint Lucia in its bid to participate in the World Health Organisation activities.
In response to Taiwan’s demonstrated commitment to global health, Saint Lucia’s Minister for Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs, Hon. Moses Jn Baptiste, has underlined his support.
“Taiwan has proven itself to be a valuable partner. It has supported WHO’s Triple Billion targets and health-related SDGs and contributed to the global fight against communicable and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Therefore, Saint Lucia calls on the World Health Organization to include Taiwan in all technical meetings, activities, and mechanisms and invite Taiwan to participate in the World Health Assembly as an observer.”
Minister Jn Baptiste pinpointed some of the successful health programs that Taiwan has implemented.
“Taiwan has always been vigilant in its approach toward NCD prevention and management. It has successfully implemented a range of associated programs, including initiatives focusing on cancer-prevention and screening, education and action on tobacco use, and metabolic syndrome diagnosis.”
The health minister further highlighted how Taiwan’s assistance during the difficult pandemic period in Saint Lucia helped curb the spread of the virus.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan’s advanced public health system, well-trained epidemic prevention personnel, and comprehensive, cutting-edge disease surveillance, investigation, and analysis system helped contain and slow the spread of the virus. The comprehensive response model established by Taiwan facilitates advance deployment and early response in the event of an epidemic. Based on the lessons learned from combating COVID-19 and other communicable diseases, Taiwan recognizes the vital role of sharing genetic sequencing information.”
As the global community faces an increasing number of health threats, Saint Lucia’s Minister for Health went on to emphasize the necessity of working together to effectively tackle these challenges.
