The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the decision-making body of World Health Organization (WHO). According to its website; The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget. The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.
It doesn´t say the main functions are health related. WHA is a political assembly.
The 73rd World Health Assembly is held November 9 – 14, 2020 in Geneva. On obstruction efforts from Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in China, Taiwan was not invited to join the sharing session on the COVID-19 pandemic. Bjørn-Inge Larsen of Norway is chairing the meetings, On November 11th, delegations from the United States, Japan and 11 diplomatic allies of Taiwan all spoke up at the virtual meeting, lobbying the WHO to allow its participation as an observer of the World Health Assembly, given the self-ruled island’s success in stopping the spread of the disease.
Garrett Grigsby, director of the Office of Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said:
– It is counterproductive to block Taiwan from joining the meeting in the capacity of an observer, as the island has achieved remarkable results in its fight against the pandemic, Countries facing a new wave of infections would benefit greatly from learning about Taiwan’s prevention and control work.
Japan´s representative said:
– It is difficult for any single country to deal with the pandemic on its own. Information should therefore be exchanged among regions, particularly with those places which managed to rein in the coronavirus, such as Taiwan. No geographical gap should be allowed in global public health.
When the delegate from Eswatine in his speak mentioned that the WHO had excluded Taiwan from joining the meeting, Bjørn-Inge Larsen just switched off the live screening and said:
– Speakers are not to discuss observer issues.
When Palau in a pre-recorded video, expressed hope that Taiwan could join the WHO meeting as an observer and be able to share its successful anti-outbreak experience, Dr. Larsen felt pressured by the WHO secretariat to end the live broadcast.
The whole world is affected by Covid-19. The pandemic could have been less by including experienced experts from Taiwan.
The WHA Covid-19 response in May 2020 says
– Recognizing the need for all countries to have unhindered, timely access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable diagnostics, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines, and essential health technologies, and their components, as well as equipment, in order to mount the COVID-19 response.
This is neclected by CCP of China including the government of Norway by manipulating the “one China” principle to hinder the Taiwanese people’s right to health.
Bjørn-Inge Larsen´s wife is also a medical doctor. She is the chair of the Clinical Ethics Committee (KEK) and chief physician in infectious diseases at Oslo University Hospital. But for Dr. Larsen, politics is more important than medical ethics and solving infectious diseases.
Information credit:
https://hk.appledaily.com/…/V7HRQYADOVBZ3KT3WDQ5SBW744/
Geir Yeh Fotland, Taiwan reporter, formosa1951@gmail.com