Effective disease control requires international collaboration and Taiwan is willing and able to help strengthen global prevention networks through participating in the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, Premier Lai Ching-te said April 19.
 
Taiwan’s inclusion in the 71st WHA, set for May 21-26 in Geneva, would bolster protections against communicable illnesses, Lai said. As a responsible member of the international community, the country is committed to safeguarding global health security, he added.
 
The premier’s comments came in the wake of recent measles infections in Taiwan. According to the Centers for Disease Control under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the country has recorded 18 cases this year, six imported from overseas and 12 resulting from subsequent contact.
 
Lai said these cases underscore that in the age of globalization, disease knows no borders. He instructed related agencies to enhance efforts to combat the illness across such areas as border controls, epidemic prevention, medical systems, public awareness, quarantine, and tracking and monitoring.
 
Health facilities are taking strict precautions to prevent further cases, including closely observing nearly 3,000 people who have come into contact with patients, the CDC said. Measles infection rates fell in Taiwan from 2015 to 2017, with 29, 14 and 6 cases recorded in those years, respectively.
 
Taiwan took part in the annual WHA as an observer from 2009 to 2016 following 38 years of exclusion. Its involvement is widely recognized as helping advance global disease prevention efforts and bolster global health security. (KWS-E)