Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) announced more details on the four international forums to be held around the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) commencing May 18 in Geneva. Shih stated that this year's Taiwan Smart Medical & HealthTech Expo will cover topics such as healthcare resilience, smart healthcare, cancer prevention, and hepatitis C prevention. He said that these forums aim to share Taiwan's experiences with the international community and facilitate exchanges and learning with experts from various countries.

Shih elaborated that this event will integrate diplomacy, healthcare, and trade, allowing Taiwan’s relevant medical systems and businesses to travel to Geneva. During this important gathering of international health leaders, the spirit of "Taiwan Can Help" will be seen and even truly implemented, which is a key difference between this year and previous years.

DPP legislator Wang Cheng-hsu (王正旭) also stressed that WHA peripheral meetings are crucial platforms for promoting Taiwan's international capabilities and its indispensable role in the global public health system. Furthermore, he pointed out a silver lining — since the United States withdrew from the WHO, this may give more room to establish deeper Taiwan-U.S. medical cooperation.

Regarding the United States’ explicit statement this year that it will not participate in the WHA, Shih pointed out that Taiwan and the U.S. already have an MOU in the fields of public health and healthcare, and are currently negotiating its renewal. Taiwan annually invites serving U.S. health officials to participate in a health and welfare forum.

This year's forum will be held in June, followed by a roundtable event for health officials from various U.S. states in August. Through substantive exchanges and interactions, these initiatives aim to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.