Health in Taiwan

If you’re spending a lot on medical bills, you’ve got to know about Taiwan – it’s renowned for its universal health coverage (UHC) and top-notch healthcare. When COVID-19 hit, Taiwan jumped in as a trusted global health partner in fighting against the virus. And now, Taiwan is leading the charge in the next big wave: AI.

 

Health for all

Achieving UHC is one of the key targets set by the United Nations (UN) when it adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. This goal emphasizes that all people and communities should have access to the full spectrum of health services they need, provided at sufficient quality.

To achieve UHC, Taiwan launched its National Health Insurance (NHI) program in 1995. Under a single-payer model, Taiwan NHI has successfully ensured coverage for more than 99% of the population. The results have been substantial: high-quality care, a satisfaction rate of 91%, low administrative costs, and improved population health. For example, the average life expectancy has surpassed 80 years.

Global rankings consistently reflect the success of Taiwan’s NHI system. Taiwan has retained its top ranking in the Health Care Index 2024, published by Numbeo. Additionally, in 2023, the CEOWORLD magazine Health Care Index ranked Taiwan's healthcare system first among 110 countries, scoring 78.72 out of 100.

Taiwan’s experience serves as a valuable model for countries aiming to achieve or reform UHC. It offers insights into establishing and sustaining an universal health insurance system, including provider management, digitalization, and health financing in the face of socioeconomic and geopolitical changes.

 

When COVID-19 hit

Drawing on lessons from the 2003 SARS outbreak, Taiwan has established a robust system for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR). This PPR model proved highly effective during the COVID-19 pandemic - enabling early alerts, reducing fatalities, and supporting global partners.

Taiwan was among the first to notify the World Health Organization (WHO) of the emerging COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China. Leveraging its epidemic intelligence system, Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identified the pneumonia cases in Wuhan as unusual. As early as 31th December 2019, the International Health Regulations (IHR) focal point at Taiwan CDC sent inquiries to both China and WHO, requesting further information about “atypical pneumonia cases and patients who had underwent isolation for treatment”.

Despite WHO overlooking Taiwan’s early warnings, Taiwan promptly activated its Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), avoiding the disarray of the SARS era. With early border controls and strong public health and social measures, Taiwan upheld a zero-COVID policy until April 2022. Taiwan’s approach was distinctive - it was one of the few countries that managed the pandemic without lockdowns.

The numbers speak for themselves: from 2020 to 2022, Taiwan recorded the ninth-lowest excess death rate globally, according to The Economist.

Taiwan contributed significantly to the global COVID-19 response by supplying the world’s health needs, including masks, vaccines, test kits, and therapeutics. In the early phase of the pandemic, it rapidly scaled up mask production, becoming the world’s second-largest supplier of face masks. The Medigen COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Taiwan’s Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp, received authorization for use in countries such as Australia and Thailand, along with inclusion in the WHO’s vaccine patent pool. Additionally, Taiwanese rapid tests and Chinese medicines - NRICM101 and NRICM102 - have shown promising effects in diagnosis and treatment.

Amid global health security challenges, Taiwan is not only a front-runner - it has proven that Taiwan can help, and indeed, Taiwan has helped.

 

Heath AI

Across healthcare settings, Taiwan has rapidly advanced in health AI development. Some hospitals now utilize digital pathology systems that support remote consultations, streamline slide reviews, and integrate AI modules to enhance the diagnosis of cancers and renal diseases. In radiology, machine learning techniques have been applied to X-rays, assisting physicians with the early detection of lung cancer.

One click away! Taiwan’s AI-powered pharmacies enable pharmacists to swiftly access patient data and identify drug interactions, helping to ease workload pressures amid staffing shortages.

As a global leader in medical innovation, Taiwan offers outstanding platforms – such as Medical Taiwan exhibition - to explore a wide range of cutting-edge healthcare technologies. Topics span smart hospitals, digital health, medical devices, precision diagnostics, regenerative medicine. For example, a Taiwan-based hospital achieved a global third ranking for the HIMSS Digital Health Indicator in 2022, reflecting Taiwan's significant strides in digital health advancement.

 

Ensuring Taiwan’s inclusion is more crucial than ever  

Despite being a global leader in advancing health for all, sustaining health security, and driving cutting-edge AI innovations, Taiwan remains excluded from the UN and WHO, including the World Health Assembly (WHA). This is due to political pressure from China.

With WHO’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) reaching a consensus on the draft of Pandemic Agreement in April 2025, ensuring Taiwan’s inclusion is more crucial than ever. The draft of the accord highlights the human right to health, making it crucial to include Taiwanese right in this vital discussion. Taiwan's early COVID-19 alerts and responses show that excluding it from information exchange and collaborations could delay responses to future threats like Disease X.

Taiwan deserves meaningful participation, including the pandemic agreement, WHA, WHO, and the UN system. Taiwan’s experience offers invaluable insights for countries striving to create smarter, stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient healthcare systems. Supporting Taiwan’s inclusion reinforces its vital role in safeguarding and advancing well-being - for everyone.

 

===

Author: Hao-Kai Tseng