Ministry of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan (fourth right) is joined by other officials Sept. 19 at the 2023 Concordia Annual Summit in New York. (MOFA)

Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan took part in the 2023 Concordia Annual Summit in New York to spotlight the government’s commitment to fulfilling the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals by achieving health for all, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sept. 21.

Facilitated by the MOFA, Hsueh attended a Sept. 19 roundtable discussion on universal health coverage, during which he introduced Taiwan’s National Health Insurance system and the country’s contributions to good health and well-being. Taiwan has ranked first in the Health Care Index released by Serbia-based online database Numbeo for six consecutive years, Hsueh said, adding that the country has reached full NHI coverage of its residents.

The minister also discussed challenges that face Taiwan, such as the country’s aging population and the addition of new drugs and medical technologies to the approved options available through the NHI. The government is dedicated to integrating new medicines and treatments into the NHI system without squeezing out other services, he added.

According to the MOFA, roundtable participants and audience members recognized the value of Taiwan’s NHI model as a reference for their countries’ own development. Hsueh’s sharing of knowledge and experiences will also help the U.N. better understand the necessity of Taiwan’s participation in its activities, meetings and mechanisms, the ministry added.

Staged Sept. 18-20, the annual summit was organized by New York-based nonprofit organization Concordia on the sidelines of the 78th U.N. General Assembly. President Tsai Ing-wen delivered a video speech Sept. 20 from Taipei City calling on members of the democratic community to support cross-strait peace and Taiwan’s international participation. (YCH-E)