WHO opens the door to Taiwan to participate online in global epidemic forum

Our top story. Amid the continued spread of the novel coronavirus, the World Health Organization has invited 400 medical experts from all around the world to take part in a global forum this week to fight the virus. And, in a diplomatic breakthrough, Taiwan will be able to participate, albeit online. As for who will be representing Taiwan, the Central Epidemic Command Center says it has some candidates lined up. The center says it will still continue its push to have a representative physically join the event in Geneva, Switzerland.The WHO will conduct a global forum on research and innovation this week, with 400 medical researchers from around the world taking part to discuss the novel coronavirus, its vaccines, and treatment.Michael RyanExecutive Director, WHO Health Emergencies ProgrammeWe will have Taiwanese colleagues online, and therefore we can assure you this is a full technical cooperation.Now that Taiwan can participate in the forum online, the next question is, will Taiwan also be able to take part in the regular meetings on the epidemic or even join the world health body with the active support of the U.S., Japan, E.U. and Taiwan’s diplomatic allies? Taiwan’s health care system is well-known across the globe. The Health Care Index by Numbeo, an online database, recently gave Taiwan a score of 86.71 out of 100, making Taiwan first among 93 nations, followed by South Korea and Japan in second and third place. Despite the good news from Geneva, the government remains cautious in its approach.Chou Chih-haoCentral Epidemic Command CenterOf course we will try hard to attend the forum. But if we’re still denied physical access, then we’ll participate via telephone or video conferencing. We’re still working on it, so I will withhold any participants’ names for now.It’s still up in the air whether Taiwan can become an observer in the WHO. But if the WHO continues to bar Taiwan, despite its strong medical achievements, analysts say it will be a blemish in the global fight against the coronavirus.