Taiwanese medical student organizations will hold a side event at this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA), despite Taiwan’s ineligibility to officially join the annual meeting as a member state. The event, called the Global Health Diplomacy Summit, will be held at the InterContinental Hotel in Geneva, where other side events to the WHA will also take place. The Federation of Public Health Students Association in Taiwan (FPHSA) and the Pharmaceutical Students’ Association of Taiwan (PSATW) are hosting the event.
At an announcement of the event on Thursday, event conveners were joined by New Power Party legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) and Taipei City Hospital’s Dr. Chiang Kuan Yu (姜冠宇). Event convener Hsieh Chia-heng (謝家珩) says the event aims to expand the horizons of Taiwanese medical students, while also allowing the world to see Taiwan’s professional contributions to the field.
The event will have two sessions featuring medical professionals from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries. It will include forums and keynote addresses on post-pandemic trends in global health exchange, and youth talent cultivation.
Dr. Chiang says that the students have to cover all their own expenses for the trip, and encourages the public to contribute to the group. The group plans to participate in more than 30 conferences and activities around the WHA, which will be held from May 21 to May 30 in Geneva.