MOHW Minister Chen Shih-chung (center) discusses Taiwan’s wide-ranging medical expertise at an event on the sidelines of the 71st WHA in Geneva. (CNA)

Four international medical forums were staged May 22 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the sidelines of the 71st World Health Assembly in Geneva, bringing together experts from home and abroad to discuss antibiotic resistance, dental care for seniors, health equity and universal coverage.
 
Attended by MOHW Minister Chen Shih-chung and scholars from Taiwan and like-minded countries including Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., the events fostered collaboration in key medical fields and raised awareness of the nation’s indispensable role in promoting global health care development, according to the ministry.
 
Such forums demonstrate Taiwan’s willingness to share its expertise with the international community, the MOHW said, adding that only through cross-sector and transnational cooperation can the World Health Organization’s goal of health for all be achieved.
 
Taiwan’s universal care system, the National Health Insurance program, took center stage at the first forum. The MOHW’s Health Promotion Administration conveyed the nation’s experiences in implementing the world-leading initiative, which boasts a coverage rate of 99.9 percent, and spotlighted its potential as a template in advancing the WHO’s top priority of promoting universal health coverage around the world.
 
The success of the NHI in narrowing medical disparities between socioeconomic groups as well as urban and rural areas was highlighted at the health equity forum. At the event on antimicrobial resistance, experts discussed the global threat posed by superbugs and shared experiences in developing new antibiotics and monitoring drug effectiveness.
 
Attendees at the geriatric dentistry forum explored the correlation between oral hygiene and general health risks such as dementia and diabetes. Participants signed a declaration at the conclusion of the event pledging to expand cooperation in combating oral health problems among aging populations.
 
Taiwan participated in the annual WHA—the decision-making body of the WHO—as an observer from 2009 to 2016 following 38 years of exclusion. Its involvement is widely recognized as helping strengthen disease prevention efforts and safeguard global health security.
 
Chen is in Geneva as the head of a delegation to convey Taiwan’s deep dissatisfaction over its exclusion from the 71st WHA running through May 26. His agenda also includes holding talks with officials from diplomatic allies and like-minded countries, according to the MOHW. (KWS-E)