According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Health-adjusted Life Expectancy (HALE) in Taiwan declined to 71.4 years in 2021, a decrease of 10.4 months compared to the previous year, marking the most significant drop in 21 years.

Deputy Superintendent Chiu Cheng-hsun of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, who is also a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, attributed the decline to the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that globally, HALE decreased by 1.5 years to 61.9 years from 2019 to 2021, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) in a recent news release.

Chiu highlighted that Taiwan began experiencing a notable decline in HALE a year later than the rest of the world. He emphasized the potential long-term health impacts of the Omicron variant of SARS-COV-2, including an elevated risk of stroke.

The lesson learned from the government’s response to COVID-19, Chiu stated, underscores the importance of reinforcing preventive medicine and medical infrastructure to prepare for future health threats.

Chiu also pointed out that influenza poses a similar health risk and stressed the importance of enhancing preventive medicine, accelerating the introduction of new drugs and technology, and improving access to health screenings.

Enhancing case management in healthcare, providing subsidized cancer screenings for younger Taiwanese, and enhancing post-operative patient care are among the recommendations from the WHO that Taiwan should consider implementing to improve public health.