Taiwan medical tech expo to be held in Geneva to coincide with WHA

Taipei, May 5 (CNA) Taiwan will hold an exhibition to coincide with the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva later this month, showcasing the country's smart healthcare innovations and its ongoing overseas medical aid programs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.

The Taiwan Smart Medical & HealthTech Expo will take place in Geneva from May 17 to 19. It will feature 30 Taiwanese companies specializing in smart and innovative healthcare, as well as some of Taiwan's top medical centers, according to Yeh Chih-cheng (葉至誠), head of MOFA's Department of International Cooperation and Economic Affairs.

The inaugural exhibition will also include a special section highlighting Taiwan's achievements in providing humanitarian assistance and healthcare to its diplomatic allies and friendly nations. The section will be organized by the TaiwanICDF, Taiwan's foreign aid agency.

The 79th WHA, the World Health Organization's (WHO) annual meeting, is scheduled to take place in Geneva from May 18 to 23, bringing together WHO member states to set global health policies and priorities. Taiwan has yet to receive an invitation to attend.

The Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan's official name, left the WHO in 1972 following a decision by U.N. members to recognize the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China.

Since then, Taiwan has been unable to attend the WHA even as an observer due to pressure from Beijing, except from 2009 to 2016, when cross-strait relations were warmer under Taiwan's then-Kuomintang government.

In recent years, Taiwan has worked closely with its diplomatic allies and friendly partners, including the United States, Japan, and the European Union, to push its bid to join the WHA.