The 67th World Health Assembly (WHA) will be held between May 19 and May 24 of this year (2014) in Geneva, Switzerland. Wen-Ta Chiu, Taiwan’s Minister of Health and Welfare, will lead a delegation of 25 people to the assembly. Taiwan’s delegation will engage in exchange with representatives from other countries and speak on climate change and health, the National Health Insurance, health promotion, and traditional medicine at the plenary session and to 31 technical committees during the WHA. This will promote professional involvement and efforts to seek international health cooperation. 

This year’s assembly theme will be the link between climate and health. The Lancet has stated that “climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.” Human health will face challenges from the infectious diseases, emergencies, and environmental changes brought by climate change. Minister Chiu will give a keynote speech at this session of the assembly and share Taiwan’s medical and public health achievements and experiences with the rest of the world. Taiwan is supporting and implementing the global health strategies and actions of the World Health Organization (WHO) and will fight against the health effects and hazards brought by climate change together with the WHO and its global partners. 

During this year’s assembly, the Taiwanese delegation will present reports on 24 technical themes and 7 progress reports, including “Climate Change and Health,” “Violence Prevention,” “Traditional Medicine,” “Promoting Healthy Living,” “Influenza Pandemic Preparedness,” “International Health Regulations,” “The Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases,” “Strengthening Health Systems,” “Development Goals for the Millennium,” and “Toward Universal Health Care,” to Committee A. The delegation hopes to engage in exchange with other countries and gain an understanding of future trends in global health policy by attending the assembly. 

After attending the 67th WHA, Minister Chiu is scheduled to go to Berlin, Germany, to meet with the Federal Ministry of Health of Germany and exchange experiences on long-term care and insurance systems. Minister Chiu will encourage opportunities for exchange between Taiwan and Germany and urge continued support for expanding Taiwan’s participation in the WHO in the future. 

The delegation will actively participate in this year’s WHA plenary session and the technical committee meetings to highlight Taiwan’s determination and ability to participate in international health affairs. Only with opportunities for participation can Taiwan speak out on an international stage and allow the international community to understand its current status and circumstances in promoting participation in the WHO. Taiwan is striving to expand its participation in WHO activities and mechanisms.