BY OSCAR CHUNG

A plaque for the AI and Telemedicine Center at Majuro Hospital reflects the friendship between Taiwan and the Marshall Islands. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)

The global health network is incomplete without Taiwan.

Taiwan’s world-class health care system is not only safeguarding its own people, but also improving lives around the world. This year for the sixth time running, Taiwan ranked first in international database firm Numbeo’s annual Health Care Index. “Once an aid recipient, Taiwan has successfully transformed into a contributor, using its medical expertise to support others,” said Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源), head of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW).

Driven by a spirit of innovation and responsibility, Taiwan has launched numerous initiatives to enhance health care worldwide. The Taiwan International Healthcare Training Center operated by the MOHW’s Taipei Hospital has played a key role in this mission. Since the center’s establishment in 2002, it has trained more than 2,200 medical professionals from 82 countries. In 2005 the ministry tasked National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei City with collecting surplus ­medical equipment from institutions across the country for international donation. Through the Global Medical Instruments Support and Service Program, more than 7,900 medical devices have been provided to 39 nations to strengthen their health care systems.

Taiwan medical professionals share burn treatment experience with peers from Mongolia, Ukraine, Vietnam and the Philippines as part of a training program organized by the Taiwan International Healthcare Training Center. (Courtesy of Ministry of Health and Welfare)

A flagship initiative in Taiwan’s medical outreach is the One Country, One Center program launched in 2018. Under the endeavor, six medical centers in Taiwan were each designated to build partnerships with institutions in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. The program expanded in 2019 to include Myanmar and Brunei and was further revised in 2022 to add additional medical centers for Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.

One of the leading participants, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH), which operates Taiwan’s largest medical network, began collaborating with ­partners in Malaysia in 2019. “Malaysia’s general public and health care ­professionals alike have gained a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s high-quality medical services,” said Sue Huei-cheng (蘇輝成), vice chief executive officer of CGMH’s administration center. “It’s an effective projection of Taiwan’s soft power.”

CGMH has partnered with 13 Ma­lay­sian medical institutions to date, ­including the University of Malaya and its medical center. The hospital has supported Malaysia’s health care sector by hosting medical seminars, offering training for local professionals, connecting Malaysian hospitals with Taiwan’s top medical equipment and IT providers and donating essential equipment, including 15 brand-new hemodialysis machines to help address diabetes in the country. In 2023 CGMH further expanded its impact by establishing the Taiwan Advance Medtech Centre in Penang. This ­state-of-the-art demonstration site, now home to 25 Taiwan companies, showcases the country’s advanced medical devices and services, including artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Smart Care

Taiwan is leveraging expertise in smart health care to enhance medical efficiency, accessibility and quality worldwide. A prime example is the Health Information Management Efficiency Enhancement Project, launched in partnership with Paraguay’s government in 2017. By the end of 2024 the initiative had benefited 765 public medical institutions, including 73 that joined in December. The system has significantly improved hospital and clinic operations, streamlining personnel management, medical procedures, ­real-time access to patient records and overall service efficiency. Since its ­implementation, it has processed approximately 32.4 million ­outpatient visits, more than one-third of them in 2024 alone, ­demonstrating its growing impact.

Taiwan helps Paraguay establish a health information system to streamline care in the South American ally. (Courtesy of International Cooperation and Development Fund)

Taiwan’s diplomatic ally Palau has also seen major health care advances. For nearly two decades Taipei-based Shin Kong Wu Ho Su Memorial Hospital has supported medical services in the island nation, from patient care to school nutrition ­programs. In 2022 it helped Belau National Hospital establish a telemedicine center, enabling patients to consult with Shin Kong ­specialists remotely. A mobile clinic equipped with the latest medical devices extends care to those in remote areas, further enhancing accessibility.

Similarly, Shuang Ho Hospital in New Taipei City has modernized health care in the Marshall Islands. Since launching the Taiwan Health Center there in 2013, it has provided essential medical services, culminating in the completion of the AI and Telemedicine Center at Majuro Hospital in 2024. This state-of-the-art facility in the ally’s capital allows patients to receive AI-assisted examinations and remote consultations with doctors at both Majuro and Shuang Ho.

Taiwan’s smart health care model is also inspiring transformation beyond its diplomatic allies. Mahkota Medical Centre in Malacca City, Malaysia, established the country’s first smart ward in November 2024 after executives observed CGMH’s cutting-edge practices. “Malaysian visitors to New Taipei’s Tucheng Hospital, which has been managed by CGMH since 2020, were impressed by what they saw,” Sue said. “They wanted to replicate Taiwan’s model but were unsure how to proceed. That’s when we stepped in to help.” The resulting 40-bed ward operates with real-time ­transmission of patient vital signs and continuously updated electronic medical records, improving efficiency and patient care. It is now a model for hospitals in Malaysia and beyond, drawing interest from medical professionals in Indonesia and Bangladesh, who have visited to study the implementation of smart systems.

Building on these successes, the MOHW and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established a dedicated task force in February 2025. Comprising medical institutions, health care businesses, industry associations and international cooperation experts, the team will lead a flagship initiative on smart medicine and health care under the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project. With a focus on integrated diplomacy, this initiative aims to strengthen Taiwan’s public health and medical collaborations with allies and friendly nations.

Malacca health officials visit Mahkota Medical Centre’s smart ward, which was built with assistance from Taiwan’s Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. (Courtesy of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital)

Worldwide Call

As Taiwan expands its contributions to global health, it is strengthening ties with like-minded partners. In the past two years the MOHW has signed memorandums of understanding on health cooperation with Canada, Czechia and the U.K. These agreements promote collaboration in key areas such as health insurance, hospital management, digital health, mental health and global health security.

Despite Taiwan’s dedication to improving global health and preparing for future health crises, it remains excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), preventing it from sharing its health care expertise on a ­broader scale. “Taiwan has constantly raised the standard of care for its own people while actively fulfilling its responsibilities as a member of the global community,” Chiu said. He emphasized that Taiwan’s response to COVID-19 was a clear demonstration of its world-class medical system and its commitment to global health. “Taiwan should have the same rights and responsibilities as any other nation,” he added.

Doctors from Taiwan lend expertise at the Marshall Islands’ Majuro Hospital. (Courtesy of MOHW)

Support for Taiwan’s bid to participate reached unprecedented levels at the 77th WHA in 2024. All 11 of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies with WHO membership publicly advocated for its inclusion as an observer. Fifteen like-minded nations, including Germany, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., also voiced support, as did Belgium in its capacity as the representative of the European Union.

In addition, Taiwan’s bid has received strong backing from legislative bodies worldwide. The European Parliament has repeatedly affirmed its support, while lawmakers from various countries have used multiple channels—from passing resolutions and posting on social media to writing to the WHO director-general—to advocate for the country’s inclusion.

The political obstacle hindering Taiwan’s bid is China’s continued distortion of U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 in 1971 and consequently the WHA Resolution 25.1 in 1972. However, the former only addresses the issue of China’s representation in the U.N. “Neither of these resolutions mentions Taiwan or declares that Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Therefore, these resolutions have no power to confer upon the PRC any right to represent Taiwan in the WHO,” Chiu said. “Taiwan’s participation in the WHA is in keeping with the universal principles of fairness and justice,” he added. “Global health decisions must consider the well-being of all humanity, and Taiwan’s voice should be part of that conversation.”