Taiwanese health officials scrambled to save as many as they could when a new strain of enterovirus swept through the island of 23 million people in the late nineties.

The resulting epidemic caused by the intestinal bug killed 78 children and infected 10,000 others.

As the epidemic was dying down, a massive earthquake struck central Taiwan killing 2,161 people and injuring some 10,000 others.

International relief efforts from the Red Cross and Russia were significantly delayed and stopped as the world rushed to aid Taiwan.

In 2003, when the world was combating the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS, Taiwan health officials, unable to access the World Health Organisation (WHO) network, were forced to surf for information on the internet about how to fight the disease.

The disease spread rapidly in Taiwan, a full 2 months after the global alert posted by WHO and one month after its passage through Hong Kong, Singapore, and other neighboring countries.

Since the early 70’s WHO has shut out Taiwan from access to the planet’s premier health network on the insistence of China, which doggedly claims sovereignty over the democratic island.

Countries around the world, which have adopted the so called “one-China” policy, including Canada have been reluctant to vote to allow Taiwan even observer status at the WHO.

This observer status, which would include Taiwan in the global health security network, has already been accorded to the Red Cross, the Palestinian Authority, the Vatican, Kosovo, among others.

The continued isolation of Taiwan from WHO is a clear and present danger to global health.

The global community must realize that China, which lied to the world about its own SARS epidemic causing severe consequences in Canada, cannot be trusted to represent Taiwan on health issues.

In today’s world, everyone including WHO, knows that there is a universal vulnerability to the threats arising from emerging and epidemic-prone diseases.

Some experts have gone so far as to state that there is no such thing as a “localized” outbreak anymore. If the disease is lethal, frightening, or spreading in an explosive way, there will always be international repercussions.

Ironically, the theme for this year’s World Health Day is international health security with a focus on urging governments, organizations and businesses to invest in health for collaborative response to new challenges.

Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations says “let us ensure that each country -- rich and poor -- has a robust health system capable of serving all those in need. Addressing our common vulnerability demands nothing less.”

But all of these monikers and statements by the UN are underlined in a sickening hypocrisy that is tied to the global salivation at doing business with China.

Late last year it was discovered that the WHO Secretariat had signed, in complete secrecy, a Memorandum of Understanding with Beijing in 2005, specifying that no WHO-related information would be relayed to Taiwan without the consent of China.

The secret contract also stipulates that Taiwan can only take part in WHO meetings when China says so.

Come next month, the 191 full members of WHO will meet in Europe to decide matters of membership. For over two decades, this cabal has refused to allow Taiwan access to WHO, agreeing to China’s outrageous claims and kowtowing to its veto.

This has to stop and stop now.

The issue of Taiwan being admitted to WHO should not be a political debate anymore.

It should be one of human rights.

And if WHO really cares, it will stop letting China dictate the health rights of Taiwan.