Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of concerned Australian communities I rise to bring to the government’s attention the application to participate in the World Health Organisation of our close neighbour Taiwan. I hereby voice my support for these concerned communities and agree with them that this issue is of the utmost importance. It is an issue that the Australian government has taken into serious consideration in the interests of promoting health both in the Asian region and globally. The preamble to the World Health Organisation’s constitution states:

The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social conditions.

Such a lofty purpose cannot be fully realised by excluding Taiwan, whose population of 23 million people is actually greater than the populations of 75 per cent of the World Health Organisation member states. Australia is proud of upholding and promoting democratic principles, and this is evident in recent issues around the globe such as the sending of troops to Iraq and the Australian led RAMSI deployment of troops to the Solomon Islands. Australia’s reputable support for democracies should be consistent and should reflect the thriving democracy of Taiwan and Taiwan’s bid to join the World Health Organisation.

Taiwan’s achievements in the field of health care have been most commendable. Taiwan enjoys one of the highest life expectancies in Asia and has instituted highly successful disease eradication preventative health programs. Despite its exclusion from the World Health Organisation, Taiwan has sought to share its expertise in the field of health care through numerous ongoing long-term medical development projects and has donated over $180 million to humanitarian aid programs in 95 countries and areas. If Taiwan were to be admitted to the World Health Organisation, it would have the opportunity to expand its already substantial contributions in the international healthcare arena.

Taiwan has become a major regional tourism, transport and trade hub, with a heavy flow of international traffic passing through the region, and was Australia’s ninth largest trade partner in 2006. In an era of unprecedented globalisation, given Taiwan’s level of integration into the international trading network, it would be a great and unnecessary risk to continue to exclude Taiwan from participating in the World Health Organisation’s global healthcare framework. Due to its inability to gain access to the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network of the World Health Organisation during the SARS crisis of 2003, Taiwan’s capacity to respond to the spread of the disease was severely hampered, resulting in the tragic death of 73 Taiwanese SARS victims. We cannot allow such a tragedy as this to be repeated and must recognise that disease knows no boundaries, especially with the looming threat to Taiwan and the international community’s health security of an avian influenza pandemic.

Australia and Taiwan have had long and friendly relations. Both countries have benefited from the close economic relationships that have been developed between us, and we in Australia welcome the emergence of Taiwan as one of the region’s strongest and most vibrant democracies. Despite Taiwan’s medical achievements and the great successes of its healthcare system and humanitarian aid contributions, Taiwan remains shut outside the global health network, bereft of directly accessible expert information and communication with the World Health Organisation. The exclusion of Taiwan is a serious problem in the global network of disease prevention. (Time expired)