European Federation of Taiwan Health Alliance
301 Euston Road London NW1 3AD England UK
March 5th, 2008
EFTHA is a Europe registered medical professional alliance aiming at promoting European community to establish partnership with those of Taiwan’s on health matters. As the Chair of the EFTHA, I and dozens’ health leaders of the European countries would like to urge your continuous support to the activities of EFTHA in the European continent, and to foster the participation of Taiwanese health authorities in the coming 61st World Health Assembly, which will be held from May 19th in Geneva.
Health care is a transnational shared concern, reflecting what have been recently addressed in the Treaty of Lisbon – “Protection and Improvement of Human Health” and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which will mark its 60th anniversary this year. At this critical moment, the European leaders and the Director-General of the World Health Organization have repeatedly emphasized the commitment of the EU and the WHO to continue to seek universal health care and protection for all citizens in the globe. However, Taiwan’s people and her health experts have been barred by the WHO from participation in any technical and professional activities, with continuous denial of their rights to share and exchange essential information to safeguard the health for all.
In the last several WH Assemblies, the delegates of the European Union to the World Health Assembly have openly urged the WHO to seek actively the participation of Taiwan’s health professionals on technical matters. Unfortunately, Taiwan’s experts and technical officers of communicable diseases have been without any opportunity to exchange information with the WHO. The WHO denied repeatedly the requests by the Taiwan’s health authority and her health professionals from attending any meeting regarding common interest in fighting against global health threats.
Your Excellency, we seek your support for the participation of Taiwan’s health authority in the coming WHA, and request your highest efforts to abolish the discrimination by the WHO on Taiwan’s people. We look forward to your endorsement and signature to show your concern. Please reply by fax to +44 208.933.42.62 before the April 7, the coming World Health Day.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Frank Lie M.D. MRCP UK MRCP Ireland LMSSA
Executive Director
European Federation of Taiwan Health Alliance (EFTHA)
