What about SARS on Taiwan?

According to its constitution, the goal of the WHO is "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health." Many politicians in Taiwan have recently been pointing out that despite this lofty goal, the WHO has long disregarded the health of Taiwan's 23 million people due to political pressure from China. Editorials in local newspapers are slamming the world health body for consistently denying the island nation access to its medical resources in the fight against severe epidemics such as foot-and-mouth disease, dengue fever, enterovirus and, most recently, SARS.

On March 14, when the first three cases of SARS were reported in Taiwan, Taipei authorities immediately informed the WHO of the situation. WHO officials stationed in Beijing responded that the group was not able to provide direct assistance to Taiwan on the matter because, in their view, Taiwan is a province of China.

(link via Geitner Simmons)