Taiwan shared its experience with using digital tools to combat infectious disease at a virtual hosted by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Aug. 26, spotlighting the government’s commitment to working with fellow member economies in strengthening the regional response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Organized by the Centers for Disease Control under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the two-day event involved 150 prominent academics, government officials and industry experts from Taiwan and 18 other countries and territories. Topics discussed included community prevention measures, data privacy and protection, disease surveillance and risk assessments, resources allocation and public-private technology development partnerships.
In his opening remarks, MOHW Deputy Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan said that digital technology has been widely used around the world to combat the pandemic while facilitating relevant disease prevention and control efforts. The conference will serve as a platform for APEC member economies to further discuss developing such tools to tackle ongoing challenges, he added.
Former Vice President Chen Chien-jen additionally shared details regarding Taiwan’s pandemic experience in his keynote speech, citing the deployment of a name-based mask distribution system and the National Health Insurance cloud notification system as key aspects of the country’s response.
Since joining APEC in 1991, Taiwan has made substantial contributions spanning areas such as disaster prevention, food security, information and communication technology, small and medium enterprise development, and women’s economic empowerment. (YCH-E)
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