President Tsai Ing-wen is calling on the international community not to let politics get in the way of global efforts to fight COVID-19. In a speech to a medical association on Friday, Tsai said diseases like COVID “do not respect national borders.”
The president was addressing attendees at the opening ceremony of the 32nd International Congress of the Medical Women's International Association.
The association was founded in 1919 and has members from 90 countries. Taiwan has been a member since 1954. The association works closely with the World Health Organization and the UN, and holds an international congress every three years. This year, the association is holding its congress in Taiwan for the first time.
Tsai’s comments on international borders and political obstructions allude to the fact that Taiwan was not invited to this year’s World Health Assembly, the governing body of the WHO. Taiwan took part in the assembly from 2009, but has been excluded since 2017 due to pressure from China.
Tsai said she hopes the congress can remind people why the world needs to work together to advance public health and welfare. The president also hopes to spark discussions about how to create a better environment for women doctors around the world. Tsai says Taiwan has made great progress in helping women pursue diverse careers. But she says there is much left to be done to bridge the gender gap, including in medicine.