Taiwan is elevating its presence at the 79th World Health Assembly, with the island’s foreign and health ministers expected to jointly lead its delegation to Geneva for the first time when the annual gathering opens on May 18. 

The Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan held a pre-departure press conference on Wednesday, where Deputy Health Minister Lu Chien-te (呂建德) said the dual-ministerial arrangement has been in the works for months. "This is truly a cross-ministry effort, the Foreign Ministry and the Health Ministry together, we have had many, many discussions on how to showcase Taiwan's medical capabilities to the world through smart healthcare," Lu said.

Taiwan plans to debut its first ‘WHA Taiwan Smart Medical and HealthTech Expo’ in Geneva alongside four international forums. Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) said Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) is confirmed to attend, while Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung's (林佳龍) participation in bilateral and multilateral meetings remains under review.

Chen also stressed that neither UN Resolution 2758 nor WHA Resolution 25-1 refers to Taiwan, arguing that their use to exclude Taiwan undermines the global health principle of “leaving no one behind.”