‘During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan effectively leveraged its extensive public health care system’ | Photo Credit: AP
As the world enters the fourth year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation is slowly improving. Most border restrictions have been lifted and the global health regime is now focused on post-pandemic recovery. Countries have stepped up efforts to achieve health and well-being for all and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), progress on which was hampered by the pandemic.
Taiwan fully supports the health SDGs and the World Health Organization’s ‘Triple Billion Target’. Taiwan is committed to building a more flexible and equitable healthcare supply chain, maintaining an inclusive and equitable universal health coverage system, and providing disease prevention and management through a strong primary health care system. It is ready and able to share its experience in creating a cross-sectoral, innovative and people-centred health approach to help the international community work towards the achievement of the health SDGs.
Taiwan’s Epidemic Response
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan effectively reduced the spread of the disease by taking advantage of its comprehensive public health care system, well-trained personnel, and epidemiological surveillance, investigation, and analysis systems.
Taiwanese people also played an important role by following proper social behavior, following quarantine rules, and getting vaccinated. When compared with 38 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development member states and Singapore, Taiwan ranks sixth in COVID-19 mortality and case-fatality rates. Taiwan also ranks fourth for coverage rates of at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and third in terms of vaccine boosters administered.
Last year, the director-general of the World Health Organization outlined five priorities for the next five years: promoting health, providing health services, protecting health, empowering progress and demonstrating. In addition, WHO’s ‘Achieving Wellbeing’, a draft global framework for integrating well-being into public health, using a health promotion approach, demonstrates its commitment to health for all.
focus on disease prevention
Taiwan established a universal health-care insurance system in 1995, which provides disease prevention and health-care services for all. These include antenatal check-up, gestational diabetes screening, anemia test and three ultrasound examinations to reduce the risk of pregnancy and promote maternal and child health. To assist infertile couples and reduce the financial burden of in-vitro fertilization, the government continues to expand subsidized infertility treatment programs. Taiwan also aims to create a breastfeeding-friendly environment and provide preventive pediatric health care and health education. Taiwan has several prevention and management programs for non-communicable diseases that include targeting chronic metabolic diseases that are at risk groups, diet and exercise guidance as well as information on smoking and betel nut cessation to empower people. Let’s help. Taiwan also supports the global fight against cancer and the WHO’s goal of reducing cancer mortality by 25% by 2025. In line with WHO’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative, Taiwan subsidizes cervical screening and human papillomavirus vaccination. HPV vaccines have been administered to female students (12 to 15 years) since 2018, with a coverage rate of 92.1% by December 2022.
Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) provides financial protection and access to a range of essential services. The COVID-19 pandemic helped the international community recognize the importance of regional cooperation and digitization in health care. Taiwan is committed to promoting digital health and innovation to enhance access and quality of health care services, including plans for the Next Generation NHI program. Innovative services using real-time tele-health consultation for remote areas and remote islands, and exploring applications for artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. During the pandemic, Taiwan issued 13 export licenses for its herbal formula NRICM101 (Taiwan Chingguan Yihou) to help countries in the region deal with the pandemic. Taiwan is currently implementing preventive measures such as strengthening domestic production of key drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients to prevent drug shortages in the future. Taiwan will further share innovative technologies and best practices with partners around the world.
a place for taiwan
Taiwan has not been invited to the World Health Assembly since 2017. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is coming to an end and conversations on strengthening health systems around the world are gaining momentum, Taiwan should not be left out. Including Taiwan will make the world healthier, more sustainable and more equitable.
Taiwan urges WHO and all relevant stakeholders to support Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Assembly as an observer, as well as its full participation in WHO meetings, mechanisms and activities. Taiwan will continue to work with the world to help ensure the fundamental right to health enshrined in the World Health Organization constitution. In the spirit of the SDGs, no country should be left behind – especially not Taiwan, which has made a significant contribution to global public health.
Dr. Sueh Jui-yuan is the Minister of Health and Welfare, Republic of China (Taiwan)