The “2014 Global Health Forum in Taiwan”, previously known as the “Taiwan Health Forum” and “Global Forum for Health Leaders”, is an annual public health event in Taiwan that was created in 2005 to promote international participation in public health affairs, and to raise visibility of Taiwan’s medical and public health achievements.
The Global Health Forum in Taiwan was expanded in 2013 and this year marked the event’s first decade. The theme of the 2014 Global Health Forum in Taiwan has been set as “Healthy Society, Healthy People”, with two main topics focusing on Political Economy of Health and Post-2015 Development. The event featured discussions on how to eliminate health inequalities and creating healthy lifestyles through implementation of Healthy Cities and healthy settings. Specific topics included strategies to terminate obesity and tobacco hazards, two of the four major risk factors of non-communicable diseases, and discussion of holistic population care from the life course approach, making people healthy all the way from womb to tomb. Other issues of interest included challenges of sustaining universal health insurance, health technology assessment and healthy ageing.
The Forum was opened on November 30th with an address made by Vice President Mr. Den-yih Wu. The Forum has invited 60 of the world’s distinguished health care organization leaders, health ministers, officials and experts, as well as 17 Taiwanese public health professionals as speakers and moderators of sessions. Guests attended included world leaders in medical and public health organizations such as Prof. Ilona Kickbusch, Director of the Global Health Programme at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland; Dr. Mengistu Asnake, President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations; Prof. Martin Mckee, President of the European Public Health Association; Prof. Hanne Tonnesen, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Evidence-based Health Promotion, Hanne Tonnesen; Dr. Xavier Deau, President of the World Medical Association; Dr. Robert M. Wah, President of the American Medical Association; and Prof. Helmut Brand, President of the European Health Forum Gastein. The total participants of the two-day Forum reached 600 people and the enthusiastic discussions filled the conference halls.
Lecture slides from authorized speakers will be made public on December 19 at the official website of the Forum. Photos of the Forum will be uploaded to the official website on December 26th. Official website: http://www.twghf.org/

Vice President Mr. Den-yih Wu made the opening address and posed for group photo with the distinguished guests

 

 

Minister Dr. Been-huang Chiang delivering his opening plenary speech

Director General Dr. Shu-Ti Chiou joined with the guests in healthy exercises during conference breaks