Taiwan Social Welfare Organizations support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the 2018 WHA

As declared in the WHO Constitution, “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 condition.” In light of this founding principle, we submit that every Taiwanese citizen has the fundamental right to participate in the WHA and the WHO.
The WHO has long espoused Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and promoted children’s early development as well as adolescents’ health and welfare around the world. In this spirit, Taiwan was the first Asian country to institute UHC, and has achieved an insurance coverage rate of 99.9% through relatively low annual health expenditures of 6.3% of GDP. Taiwan is willing and able to share the lessons it has learned from this successful experience with other nations at the WHA. Without Taiwan’s attendance at the WHA, and participation in the WHO’s technical meetings, co-operations and activities, the global health system would certainly lose a crucial and valuable collaborative partner, and significantly delay the implementation of the WHO’s central objective: improving the health and welfare of all people.
In a statement issued on Rare Disease Day 2018, the WHO emphasized that the concept of UHC embraces access to needed health care for all people, including sufferers of rare disease, without imposing undue financial hardship. Taiwan was the only nation to have officially incorporated rare disease prevention and patient welfare into its Rare Disease Act legislation. Its National Health Insurance system provides full reimbursement for all needed medication, and subsidizes special nutritional supplements and emergency medication for rare disease patients. Taiwan’s outstanding accomplishments and experience in the care of rare diseases should be shared internationally to galvanize the advancement of UHC.
Over the past decades, Taiwan government and social welfare organizations also have dedicated to seeking necessary resource as healthcare, medicines-supply and social caring for disadvantaged groups through legislation, advocacy or group-interaction which to construct a solidity and energetic social welfare system. To ensure every disadvantage people can be taken care of under a proper medical system. No necessary considering potential financial risks among families to secure basic health and security.

Taiwan has been actively participating in international health care organizations for a long time. Taiwan’s non-governmental organizations have spread across the world. There are more than 73 countries, 336 major plans and international exchanges have been implemented and there is countless substantive diplomacy happened. The step-by-step, pragmatic, and true occurrence means that Taiwan has the ability to make substantial contributions to help the disadvantaged groups around the world.
Taiwan social welfare organizations are willing to share the mission and experience in the caring of disadvantaged groups internationally to galvanize the advancement of UHC. Taiwan social welfare organizations have shared our experiences through Pragmatic Diplomacy internationally, so please don’t ignore our efforts. Therefore, we strongly urged Taiwan to be treated fairly. Just as the people with rare diseases cannot be left behind in global health coverage, the health issues of Taiwan’s 23 million people should not become “outside of universal health coverage”. Taiwan should have meaningful participate in the 2018 World Health Assembly, share Taiwan’s experience with the world, help other countries to promote policies that take care of the disadvantaged, face potential health challenges, and jointly realize the health of the World Health Organization as a basic human rights.

臺灣社會福利團體聯合國際記者會　中文聲明
【支持臺灣有意義參與2018年世界衛生大會】
誠如世界衛生組織(WHO)憲章所揭櫫的宗旨：「健康是基本人權，是普世價值，不因種族、宗教、政治信仰、經濟或社會情境而有所分別。」爰此，參與世界衛生大會(WHA)與世界衛生組織(WHO)乃是臺灣每位人民的基本權利。
世界衛生組織長久以來戮力於實踐「全民健康覆蓋(Universal Health Coverage)」的願景，並倡議特殊及弱勢族群的健康與福祉。而臺灣是亞洲地區最早落實全民健康保險制度的國家，納保率達99.9%、醫療花費僅佔GDP約6.3%，有意願也有能力在世界衛生大會向各國分享相關經驗。然而臺灣無法出席世界衛生大會及全面參與世界衛生組織相關技術性會議、機制及活動的結果，將使全球衛生體系失去一個重要的合作夥伴，延宕世界衛生組織提升全球人類健康水準的目標。
根據世界衛生組織在2018年世界罕見疾病日發布聲明中所強調：「全民健康覆蓋」意味著所有人皆能在免於財務困難的情況下獲得其所需的醫療衛生服務，其中即包括能確保社會各角落的民眾都能獲得所需的醫療照護及關懷服務。而臺灣對於特殊及弱勢族群的完善照護向來是國際衛生領域的表率，在2000年成為全球第一將罕見疾病防治與福利保障正式立法之國家，因此在臺灣，這些罹患罕見疾病的孩童，都能在妥善的醫療體系下被照護，所以臺灣儼然是世界衛生組織推動「全民健康覆蓋」目標的重要典範。
數十年來，臺灣政府與民間社福團體不遺餘力結合多方資源，透過立法、倡議或團體互動等方式，保障特殊及弱勢族群必要的醫療照護、藥物供給及社會關懷服務，齊力建構功能健全、服務能量滿載之醫療及社會福利體系，讓每位特殊及弱勢朋友都能在妥善的醫療體系下被照顧、在免於財務風險的家庭中成長，保障其應有的基本健康與安全。
臺灣長久以來積極參與國際健康照護組織，台灣民間團體的足跡遍佈全球，目前已經超過73個國家、重大計畫案次數超過336次其他大小國際交流、實質外交不計其數。一步一腳印的、務實的、真實的發生，亦即代表臺灣有能力、有使命為幫助全世界弱勢族群做出實質貢獻。
臺灣的社會福利團體願意將照護每位特殊及弱勢朋友的使命與經驗分享到全世界，用於協助世界衛生組織推動「全民健康覆蓋」的願景，台灣社福團體用實質外交交流，將經驗貢獻至全球，請世界衛生大會不要忘了我們民間團體的努力，所以我們強力支持並呼籲臺灣應該被公平對待之，正如極少數的罕見疾病患者不容見棄於全球健康覆盖之外，台灣2300萬人的健康議題，更不應該成為「全民健康覆蓋」之外的世界孤兒，讓臺灣有意義參與2018年世界衛生大會，將臺灣的經驗分享給全世界，協助其他國家推動照顧弱勢之政策及面對潛在的衛生挑戰，共同為實現世界衛生組織所揭示健康為基本人權之願景而努力。


Co-signatories：
社團法人台灣社會福利總盟(Taiwan Social Welfare League)
財團法人罕見疾病基金會(Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorders)
財團法人勵馨社會福利事業基金會(The Garden of Hope Foundation)
財團法人陽光社會福利基金會(Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation)
財團法人伊甸社會福利基金會(Eden Social Welfare Foundation)
社團法人中華民國身心障礙聯盟(Disability Alliance of Republic of China)
社團法人中華民國智障者家長總會(Parents Association for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities)
社團法人臺灣社會工作專業人員協會(Taiwan Association of Social Workers)
社團法人台灣社會心理復健協會(Taiwan Association for Psycho-Social Rehabilitation)
財團法人基督教芥菜種會（The Mustard Seed Mission)
社團法人台灣少年權益與福利促進聯盟(Taiwan Alliance For Advancement of Youth Rights And Welfare)
社團法人台灣南方社會力聯盟(Social Power from Southern Taiwan)
社團法人台灣婦女團體全國聯合會(National Alliance of Taiwan Women's Associations)
社團法人中華民國社區重聽福利協會(Taiwan Association for Community Hard-Of-Hearing People And Welfare)
社團法人中華民國白化症者關懷協會(Taiwan Albino Caring Association)
財團法人靖娟兒童安全文教基金會(Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation)
社團法人中華民國老人福利推動聯盟(Federation for Welfare of the Elderly)
社團法人中華民國自閉症總會(Autism Society of Taiwan)
社團法人台灣健康人權行動協會(Taiwan Health Right Initiative)
財團法人台灣兒童暨家庭扶助基金會(Taiwan Fund for Children and Families)
社團法人中華民國家庭照顧者關懷總會(Taiwan Association of Family Caregivers)
社團法人台灣多發性硬化症協會(Multiple Sclerosis Association Taiwan)