Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 117.djvu/788

 PUBLIC LAW 108–28—MAY 29, 2003

117 STAT. 769

Public Law 108–28 108th Congress An Act Concerning participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization.

May 29, 2003 [S. 243]

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. CONCERNING THE PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO).

(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress makes the following findings: (1) Good health is important to every citizen of the world and access to the highest standards of health information and services is necessary to improve the public health. (2) Direct and unobstructed participation in international health cooperation forums and programs is beneficial for all parts of the world, especially with today’s greater potential for the cross-border spread of various infectious diseases such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, and malaria. (3) Taiwan’s population of 23,500,000 people is greater than that of three-fourths of the member states already in the World Health Organization (WHO). (4) 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. (5) The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its Taiwan counterpart agencies have enjoyed close collaboration on a wide range of public health issues. (6) In recent years Taiwan has expressed a willingness to assist financially and technically in international aid and health activities supported by the WHO. (7) On January 14, 2001, an earthquake, registering between 7.6 and 7.9 on the Richter scale, struck El Salvador. In response, the Taiwanese Government sent 2 rescue teams, consisting of 90 individuals specializing in firefighting, medicine, and civil engineering. The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also donated $200,000 in relief aid to the Salvadoran Government.

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