TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) marked the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Association of Family Medicine on Sunday by praising family physicians as the foundation of the nation's healthcare system.
Lai said his administration will devote more resources to preventive healthcare, streamline administrative procedures through digitalization, and strengthen support for community clinics to help realize his vision of a "Healthy Taiwan," per a press release.
Lai, Taiwan's first president with a medical background, said he sees it as his mission to work alongside the medical community to transform the country's healthcare system from one focused on treating disease to one centered on prevention and patient well-being.
He warned that prioritizing treatment of severe illnesses while neglecting disease prevention and family healthcare is unsustainable for the medical system. Lai said the government aims to turn every family medicine clinic into a community health management center.
Lai highlighted the government's 888 Project, which targets high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. The initiative aims to enroll 80% of such patients in community care networks providing lifestyle counseling and follow-up treatment. The goal is to reduce the mortality rate from the three highs by one-third by 2030, per the press release.
He said such a goal would be a long-term effort requiring close cooperation between the government and family physicians across Taiwan. He hoped lifestyle counseling could be integrated into primary care, with health screening data better assessing patients' cardiovascular disease risk to deliver more targeted care.
Lai concluded by thanking family physicians and other healthcare professionals for protecting public health. He said the government would continue working with the medical community to achieve a healthier nation.
