05-R 028
2005 -- S 0157
Enacted 02/01/05
S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
COMMENDING
THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) ON ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO PROMOTE WORLD HEALTH
Introduced
By: Senators Walaska, Issa, Gallo, and McCaffrey
Date
Introduced: January 27, 2005
WHEREAS,
Good health is essential to every citizen of the world and access to the
highest
standards of health information and services is necessary to improve public
health,
especially
in view of such world health crisis as HIV/AIDS, Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome
(SARS),
Avarian Flu, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; and
WHEREAS,
Public health knows neither borders nor politics; and
WHEREAS,
There is a genuine need to improve management and surveillance, to foster
communications
and improve laboratory capabilities among nations; and
WHEREAS,
The World Health Organization (WHO) set forth in the first chapter of its
charter
the objective of attaining the highest possible level of health for all people;
and
WHEREAS,
Taiwan’s achievements in the field of health are substantial, including one
of
the highest life expectancy levels in Asia, maternal and infant mortality rates
comparable to
those
of western countries, the eradication of such infectious diseases as cholera,
smallpox and
the
plague, and the first to eradicate polio and provide children with Hepatitis B
vaccinations; and
WHEREAS,
Taiwan’s population of 21.5 million is larger than that of three quarters
(3/4)
of the member states already in the WHO; and
WHEREAS,
With the great potential of cross border spread of diseases, such as the
Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Tuberculosis, Malaria, and the recent outbreak of
Severe
Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), it is crucial for all countries, including Taiwan,
to have
direct
and unobstructed access to information and assistance from the WHO in order to
successfully
limit the spread of various infectious diseases and achieve world health; and
WHEREAS,
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its
Taiwanese
counterpart have enjoyed close collaboration on a wide range of public health
issues;
and
WHEREAS,
Taiwan has been eagerly, willingly and voluntarily assisting financially and
technically
in international health activities supported by the WHO, and donating
generously to
disaster
areas; and
WHEREAS,
In 2001, President Bush and senior members of his administration had
vocalized
support for Taiwan’s participation in the WHO; and
WHEREAS,
In 2002, the European Parliament called accordingly on the World Health
Assembly
in Geneva, Switzerland, to accept observer status for Taiwan and on its member
states
to
support the application of Taiwan as an observer to the World Health
Organization; and
WHEREAS,
In 2002, the United States House of Representatives and Senate authorized
the
Secretary of State to endorse observer status for Taiwan at the World Health
Assembly; in
2003,
the United States House of Representatives passed HR 441 entitled “WHO for
Taiwan” in
support
of Taiwan’s participation as an observer in the WHO; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED,
That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
hereby
commends the Republic of China (Taiwan) on their myriad of contributions to
promote
world
health and supports their application as an observer to the World Health
Organization; and
be
it further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to
transmit
duly certified copies of this resolution to the President of the United States,
the Secretary
of
Health and Human Services, the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation, the
Director-General
of
the World Health Organization, and the Director-General of the Taipei Economic
and Cultural
Office
in Boston.
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LC00986
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