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Together Guam and Taiwan can make a difference in world health4
HSVG misson P.O. Box 206, Hagatna, GU 96932, USA
June 6, 2023Steven LeFever getting help from around the world for Guam typhoon relief We sincerely ask for your support to a typhoon relief project for Guam, organized by Steven LeFever, a writer, actor and filmmaker originated in Guam and now based in Japan.   100% profits of your purchases thru the website of his design will be donated to Guam to help victims of typhoon Mawar, which directly hit and severely damaged the island of Guam.   Please check out pictures below for more info. Please do visit Steven’s website and offer your help: https://lefever.myspreadshop.com/   More info about the typhoon: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/01/perfect-storm-of-chaos-a-week-after-typhoon-mawar-most-of-guam-still-without-basic-services   Steven’s website provides worldwide shipping. That means you can help from every part of the world. Please do take action for this good cause.   We also want to share Steven’s Facebook post regarding this initiative as the following:   To my friends and family from Guam currently living overseas, and to my friends with whom their only connection to Guam is through me @lesteze // What began as LeFever family reunion t-shirt designs, is slowly turning into a purpose I hope to fulfill.   https://lefever.myspreadshop.com/   Starting off w 10 designs by my wife and son Chisato and Airi (and a photo I took of the Milo bubb ), I've curated them into 500+ various LeFever clothing items, and I plan for 100% of proceeds to go towards communities affected by supertyphoon Mawar, which recently devastated Guam and the neighboring islands. It's been over 20 years since the last supertyphoons Paka and Pongsona. I remember those nights, both experiences uniquely traumatic. And to follow; no power and water for weeks// with the only thing to look forward to, then and now, being the gorgeous stars. Clear ethereal nights that can ground and prepare human will to begin taking steps forward again. Though recovery will take months perhaps leading into years, perhaps allow this return to form be a chance to once again stop and smell the guasali. The tiny essences in life we once loved yet lost sight of along the way. Many lucky stars to count for what we still have. Health. Nature. Conversation. Connection. And support by thy fellow human.   If you are able to, and want to, you can help me give support through LeFever apparel, or donate direct via paypal - lefevergives@gmail.com   Thank you for reading, maybe sharing, and above all, for being both part of my life, and my life/// onelove   mangåffa = everything   /// http://www.hsvg.org/hot_462702.html Steven LeFever getting help from around the world for Guam typhoon relief 2023-06-06 2024-06-06
HSVG misson P.O. Box 206, Hagatna, GU 96932, USA http://www.hsvg.org/hot_462702.html
HSVG misson P.O. Box 206, Hagatna, GU 96932, USA http://www.hsvg.org/hot_462702.html
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2023-06-06 http://schema.org/InStock TWD 0 http://www.hsvg.org/hot_462702.html

(April 14, 2021)

Together Guam and Taiwan can make a difference in world health

Taiwanese are suffering from the Hualien train accident. Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero mentioned in her kind letter to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen that Taiwan has relentlessly supported Guam’s COVID-19 response. Beyond sharing best practices, Taiwan’s utmost generosity and kindness during the global pandemic were also emphasized in the letter.


 A hearing for Resolution No. 53-36, which would provide legislative endorsement of Taiwan's bid for observer status at the World Health Organization’s 2021 annual assembly, highlighted the assistance that Taiwan provided throughout the pandemic. This included the procurement of 200,000 masks among other medical supplies, and help chartering flights to provide Guam residents off-island care during the health crisis. It also draws attention to education provided by Taiwanese physicians prior to the pandemic.


The pandemic is obviously not over yet. After receiving lots of help from off-island, Guam is actually able to offer assistance back in the continuing fight against COVID-19 around the world. For example, Guam’s pretty nice vaccine rollout experience.


When the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine arrived on December 14 last year, Guam had 25 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Two months later, although only 9.5% of Guam’s population has been fully vaccinated, the hospitalizations dropped to 5 and the island was moving to PCOR3, which allowed most businesses and activities to operate at moderate restrictions.


After a considerable percentage of at-risk people got vaccinated, Guam decided to lower the vaccine age to 16 years old on March 22. At that time, the COVID-19 hospitalization has dropped again to only 1 patient at the hospital.


Thus, combining Taiwan’s successful response before COVID-19 vaccines became available and Guam’s experience of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, Guam and Taiwan could create a very comprehensive protocol helping many countries that are still being trapped in this public health crisis, for example, Philippines, Japan, Korea and many others in different regions.


In addition to the pandemic, COVID-19 also reveals the importance of prevention and control of diabetes, heart disease and lung problems because these underlying health conditions increase people’s risk for severe COVID-19 illness and death. Learning from Taiwan’s experience in community health, Guam can not only improve its prevalence of diabetes and heart disease but also show its neighbors and the world a healthy life-changing model that would be extremely important in the post-pandemic era.


The best platform to make all of these happen is the World Health Organization (WHO). Unfortunately, WHO has refused to grant Taiwan an observer status, which Taiwan used to own, at its annual assembly since 2017. Government of Guam can work together with the US Federal Government to support Taiwan to resume the observer status at the May 24 to June 1 World Health Assembly this year. It is absolutely a right thing to do.


In our region, Guam should urge WHO’s Western Pacific Regional Office in the Philippines to immediately amend its improper approach that refused to contact or interact with Taiwan. As a result, Taiwan was unable to obtain information about the pandemic and related data issued by the office, and also unable to participate in meetings organized by the office. Many countries in the region therefore lost their opportunity to closely learn relevant public health practices from Taiwan. That is obviously a huge mistake the office really has to fix and Guam can urge them to do it right away.