New Southbound Policy Portal

Heartwarming short shows how Taiwan Can Help advance global health

“Plant Love” highlights Taiwan’s ability to advance global health and participate in the activities, mechanisms and meetings of the WHO. (Courtesy of Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation)

“Plant Love” highlights Taiwan’s ability to advance global health and participate in the activities, mechanisms and meetings of the WHO. (Courtesy of Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation)

A heartwarming short showing how Taiwan Can Help change lives for the better was jointly released May 14 by Taipei City-based Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
Titled “Plant Love,” the 13-minute film documents how three medical professionals from the Vietnam National Children’s Hospital are working wonders for cleft lip and palate patients by utilizing the advanced training they received at the Craniofacial Center of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taoyuan City, northern Taiwan.
 
There is one case of cleft lip and palate in every 600 to 800 newborns in Vietnam. While many foreign medical missions visit the Southeast Asian country to perform corrective procedures, results are not optimal given minimal follow-up care, according to the foundation.
 
To address this situation, the Vietnamese professionals underwent training in surgery, orthodontics and speech therapy. They have since become “seed doctors,” and the holistic medical services they offer are making a big difference to many families, the foundation said.
 
According to the MOFA, in addition to showcasing Taiwan’s advanced know-how, the film demonstrates the country is ready, willing and able to take part in the activities, mechanisms and meetings of the World Health Organization while helping realize its primary objective of Health for All.
 
Founded in 1990 by the late Dr. Samuel Noordhoff from the U.S., the foundation has organized medical missions and performed surgeries on more than 1,900 individuals with craniofacial anomalies, as well as trained nearly 170 craniofacial specialists in 20 countries. (SFC-E)