Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 10, 2023 (ZIZ Newsroom) –The Ministry of Education is now more equipped to assist students around the island with continued learning as the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) handed over 3 thousand laptops during a brief ceremony on Friday morning at the CUNA Conference Center.
During the ceremony, Resident Ambassador from the Republic of China (Taiwan), His Excellency Michael Lin explained that the laptops are valued at EC$ 1.7 million and will be distributed between both St. Kitts and Nevis.
The Ambassador stated, “These 3000 brand new tablets were purchased with funding from Taiwan, which cost EC $1.7 million dollars. Of course, you know that 2000 of them will be distributed to the students in St. Kitts, and another 1000 will be located on Nevis.”
He noted that this donation exemplifies the unwavering and continued support from the Taiwanese people to St. Kitts and Nevis.
Minister of Education, Hon. Dr. Geoffrey Hanley thanked the Ambassador and the people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) for their generosity.
“On behalf of the Ministry of Education, I say a heartfelt thank you to his Excellency Ambassador, Michael Lin, for his generosity and meaningful investment to the enhancement of the education sector of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
He mentioned that the Ministry is committed to equipping the students of the Federation to learn in their communities, nationally, and regionally.
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Building a resilient and inclusive global health system together—Taiwan can help
Dr. Shih-chung Chen
Minister of Health and Welfare
Republic of China (Taiwan)
The threat that emerging infectious diseases pose to global health and the economy, trade, and tourism never ceases. Pandemics can spread rapidly around the world due to international aviation and transport. As of March 2021, a novel form of pneumonia that first emerged in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019 and has since been classified as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused more than 126 million cases and more than 2.7 million deaths worldwide. The disease has had an enormous medical, economic, and social impact around the world, and significantly threatened global efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Due to its proximity to China, Taiwan had been expected to be one of the countries most severely affected by the epidemic. But given its experience of fighting the 2003 SARS outbreak, Taiwan did not ignore the alarms, piecing together evolving official and unofficial accounts to form a picture of the emerging disease that implied a scope and severity worse than the global public perception suggested. Authorities used this information to launch enhanced monitoring on December 31, 2019, and have tirelessly implemented public health containment measures since Taiwan’s first case was detected on January 21, 2020. As of April 22, 2021, there had been 1,086 confirmed cases, including 11 deaths, in Taiwan. Life and work have continued much as normal for the majority of the population. Taiwan has contained COVID-19 ever since the beginning of the pandemic, including a record 253 days without any cases of domestic transmission between April and December 2020.
After dealing with SARS, Taiwan established a nationwide infectious disease healthcare network that is led and overseen by infectious disease experts across six regions. More than 100 secondary response hospitals are included in the network and all twenty-two special municipalities, counties and cities have designated their primary response hospitals. The network also provides the legal authority for transferring patients with highly contagious diseases to designated facilities based on public health and clinical need. This has proven instrumental in protecting health systems and health professionals from being overwhelmed, and allowed most non-COVID-19 health services to continue to operate without disruption during the pandemic. To date, there have been only two hospital-associated COVID-19 outbreaks in Taiwan. Both were well managed resulting a total of 11 cases and zero death of health professionals.
By introducing public health control measures early and effectively, Taiwan has also mitigated the economic impact of COVID-19. To maintain essential international, social, economic, and trade activities, Taiwan implemented flexible adjustments for related quarantine measures for vessels and aircraft so that fisheries, offshore wind farms, and air transport industries could continue operations. In stark contrast with the global economic contraction, Taiwan’s GDP growth for 2020 was approximately 3.11 percent, with even higher growth of 4.94 percent in the fourth quarter. Furthermore, public trust and cooperation with the government’s response have been key to successfully containing COVID-19. In formulating disease control regulations, the government has adhered to the principles of reasonable response, minimum damage, and gradual adoption. It has worked hard to maintain the balance between people’s right to know and personal privacy and freedom, actively responding to people’s wishes by upholding the principle of fairness at the same time as prioritizing the protection of disadvantaged groups, including migrant workers. Throughout this pandemic, Taiwan has demonstrated an emphasis on the right to health and associated protections and strong opposition to human rights abuses. Indeed, at no point has Taiwan restricted people’s right to free expression, assembly, or participation in public life.
Although COVID-19 has hit all countries hard, its impact has been harshest among already vulnerable and high-risk communities, as well as those lacking quality health care services and those unable to handle the adverse consequences of antipandemic containment measures. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will do its utmost to work with the World Health Organization and global health leaders to ensure that all people enjoy living and working conditions that are conducive to good health. We will also monitor health inequities to advocate more effectively for universal access to quality health services.
Thanks to its robust health system, rigorous testing strategies, information transparency, and public-private partnerships, Taiwan’s response to COVID-19 has been one of the world’s success stories. This pandemic has proven yet again that Taiwan cannot remain outside of the global health network. Taiwan plays an indispensable role in the global monitoring and early warning systems that detect the threat of emerging infectious diseases, and the Taiwan Model has proven consistently capable of containing COVID-19. The pandemic has also highlighted Taiwan’s capacity to research, develop, produce, and supply therapies and associated tools quickly (including two COVID-19 vaccines that are presently in Phase 2 trials). Being able to comprehensively participate in and contribute to international COVID-19 supply chain systems, as well as global diagnostics, vaccine, and therapeutics platforms, would allow Taiwan to work with the rest of the world.
We urge WHO and related parties to acknowledge Taiwan’s longstanding contributions to the international community in the areas of public health, disease prevention, and the human right to health, and to include Taiwan in WHO and its meetings, mechanisms, and activities. Taiwan will continue to work with the rest of the world to ensure that all enjoy the fundamental human right to health as stipulated in the WHO Constitution. Echoing the mantra of the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, no one should be left behind.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 01, 2020 (SKNIS): The Republic of China (Taiwan) continues to stand in solidarity with St. Kitts and Nevis to fight COVID-19. On August 31, 2020, His Excellency Tom Lee, Taiwan’s Resident Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis, handed over four ventilators and 3000 rapid test kits to assist the Federation in the continued fight against the virus.
“Today, I am very pleased on behalf of the Taiwan Government to make another donation of four ventilators and 3000 rapid test kits. There is no doubt that those two items are very essential especially when St. Kitts and Nevis is scheduled to reopen its borders in October and a lot of preparations and training are undertaken at this time,” said Ambassador Lee.
His Excellency Lee noted that the ventilators serve a dual purpose. They can be used to “treat COVID-19 patients with serious syndromes”, as well as respiratory infections. Additionally, the test kits “can strengthen St. Kitts and Nevis’ preparedness efforts to battle the second wave of COVID-19.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation, the Honourable Mark Brantley, expressed deep appreciation to the Government of Taiwan for the “solidarity and cooperation it continues to offer to the Government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis” in the fight against the Novel Coronavirus.
“This is yet another example of Taiwan’s generosity to us to help us fight COVID-19. Taiwan has been a global model in terms of the fight against COVID-19. It has demonstrated time and time again that it is a significant player with significant ideas to offer to the world and Taiwan has offered its assistance globally,” said the foreign ministers. “Not only to its allies, but friends everywhere have benefited from masks and other equipment.”
Minister Brantley noted that today’s donation is just the “latest manifestation of the cooperation that St. Kitts and Nevis and Taiwan enjoy.”
Minister of Health, the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett, expressed gratitude to the Government and people of Taiwan through Ambassador Lee, noting that the donation will be very beneficial, especially as St. Kitts and Nevis prepares to reopen its borders.
“As we brace ourselves for the reopening of our borders these indeed will come in handy, especially the test kits to help us to be able to better test as persons enter our country. And so, we must say thank you on behalf of the [Government] and people of St. Kitts and Nevis and specifically the Ministry of Health,” said Minister Byron-Nisbett. “This is just another example of the continued support that Taiwan gives to the Ministry of Health and all of the contributions that you continue to make over the years to our continued health, and development of our health sector will not go unnoticed.”
Since the outbreak of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, Taiwan has made several donations including 300,000 face masks and other critical medical supplies and equipment to help St. Kitts and Nevis to fight COVID-19.
]]>BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, July 17, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) today, Friday, July 17, reaffirmed its commitment to assisting in the overall infrastructural development of St. Kitts and Nevis by making a substantial financial injection into two major capital projects.
Resident Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Federation, His Excellency Tom Lee, made the presentation of two checks to Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris during a brief ceremony at the Ministry of Finance Conference Room.
One cheque, valued at US$2 million will go towards the continuation of the Old Road Bay Road Rehabilitation Project, while the second cheque, valued at US$370,000 will go towards the completion of Lodge/Ottley’s Multi-purpose Community Center.
In his remarks, Ambassador Lee stated that as a strong ally of St. Kitts and Nevis, “Taiwan is very pleased to make some contributions to those two projects, and we are also very happy to know that both projects are progressing very well.”
His Excellency continued by saying, “Taiwan cherishes the relationship with St. Kitts and Nevis, and our government will continue to work with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis to further deepen the relationship for the benefit of our two great peoples.”
In accepting the generous donation, Prime Minister Harris hailed the strong bonds of friendship that exist between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis “that has grown stronger and has withstood the test of time.”
Dr. Harris further noted that the two projects for which the financial assistance will go towards fall well within the Team Unity administration’s mandate to deliver a stronger and safer future.
“The road project is about road safety, but equally it is about the investment in the economic life of the country because a good and strong road network improves the efficiency of economic operations. It gets workers to and from their workplaces, it facilitates the engagement in a range of socio-economic activities that could advance the country. And certainly, by bringing this road to completion we would have delivered one more tangible item in the context of the mandate for the stronger, safer future,” the prime minister said.
Additionally, Prime Minister Harris stated that the Lodge/Ottley’s Community Center will become an important edifice within those communities that will bring residents even closer together.
The prime minister said, “The multipurpose community center serves dual purposes: helping the community to come together by providing a space in which community life could be enhanced through corporate action, and importantly…we have made provision in the design to accommodate services being provided in the event there is a hurricane.”
Friday morning’s handing over ceremony was attended by Cabinet Secretary, Mrs. Josephine Huggins and Financial Secretary, Mrs. Hilary Hazel.
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