2009 year Press Release
Prior to the economic boom of Taiwan, it benefitted from the resource-related assistance by its international friends. Now, with its strengthened economic power and advanced medical technologies, Taiwan is playing a significant role in the humanitarian relief front in the world. The Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan integrated the professional resources of public and private agencies, and established TaiwanIHA to coordinate medical resources and personnel for emergency rescues, giving it a chance to contribute to the international community through its actions.Humanitarian relief without borders - Taiwan International Health Action (TaiwanIHA)
In the era of globalization, there is an ever-increasing interdependence between countries, and at the same time, natural disasters and infectious diseases are unrestricted by borders. Therefore, the maintenance of global health safety and public health standards should be the responsibility of all the members in this global village. In recent years, Taiwan has actively sought to return to international health organizations, in order to take a further step in participating in international health affairs. On March 2006, Taiwan International Health Action (TaiwanIHA in short) was established to coordinate government and private professional medical resources by using a single-channel approach to engage in emergency rescue or humanitarian relief missions in regions or allied countries in need.
TaiwanIHA contributing to the world with action
The Vice Political Minister Li-Yan, Hsia of Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated, ��Taiwan��s foreign medical relief is not only about integrating current resources in contribution to the international community, but more importantly, it is what the international community expects of us. From the angle of humanitarian relief, the services provided by TaiwanIHA actually surpass political diplomacy, religion and race. It is about letting the victims and patients in these regions or allied countries to obtain professional medical rescue in their time of need. In many less-developed regions lacking in medical resources, the professional services of TaiwanIHA have received great acknowledgement and appreciation. This, to TaiwanIHA, is the best reward and signifies our importance in the international community.��
Immediate dispatch of personnel and resources to the disaster region
Since the inception of TaiwanIHA, it was always able to bring its emergency rescue capabilities in play at times of international disasters. For example, in 2007, the earthquake stricken zone in Sumatra, tsunami in India, earthquake in Peru, and in 2008, storm and floods in Ecuador, the tropical cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and so on. In all of these disasters, TaiwanIHA efficiently organized emergency related human and medical resources to the disaster region. During the Sichuan earthquake, due to some unknown reasons, medical personnel were unable to be sent over, but through the Red Cross Society of ROC, the medical supplies for emergency rescue was eventually delivered. Vice Political Minister Hsia believes that the operational experience of TaiwanIHA exemplify that Taiwan is promoting the goal of United Nations and World Health Organization in alleviating the poor by its actions. In the future, TaiwanIHA will utilize this platform of international medical relief, and integrate global health partners to further participate in global health affairs and entering the regions in need, to increase Taiwan��s contribution and exposure internationally.