Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), commonly referred to as chronic diseases, are characterized by a slow disease progression and long duration, and they often lead to additional health problems. NCDs arise from complex etiologies, including genetic factors, unhealthy lifestyles, occupational exposures, and environmental influences. Among these, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors—such as smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity—can result in elevated blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipid levels, as well as obesity. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is one such chronic condition. Individuals with metabolic syndrome have a 2- to 6-fold higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia compared with the general population.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 17.9 million people die each year from cardiovascular diseases, making them the leading cause of death among NCDs, followed by cancer (9.3 million), chronic respiratory diseases (4.1 million), and diabetes (2.0 million). Together, these four disease categories account for more than 80% of premature deaths attributable to NCDs.
In Taiwan, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases ranked among the top four causes of death in 2023 and also impose substantial long-term care burdens. Health policy formulation should therefore go beyond considerations of medical technologies and clinical conditions, and instead assess the overall health status of the population from the perspective of disease burden. Consequently, developing more effective policy measures and proposing evidence-based preventive strategies to reduce the burden of disease has become a critical priority.
The formulation of health and welfare policies should be based on the natural history of diseases and integrated with the three levels and five stages of disease prevention and control in order to develop appropriate preventive and therapeutic interventions. Enhancing public awareness of chronic disease risk factors and improving population health literacy are therefore essential measures for reducing the risk and mortality of NCDs, as well as for improving disease prognosis and the quality of medical care.
The establishment of the Research Center for Medical Technology and Policy aims to provide evidence-based policy recommendations to the government on health and welfare policies, including: (1) Primary prevention: targeting the stage of disease susceptibility by reducing exposure to risk factors and enhancing patient empowerment and health literacy, thereby increasing public awareness of NCDs prevention; (2) Secondary prevention: focusing on patients with chronic diseases who require long-term polypharmacy, by strengthening population-based or targeted screening programs to enable early diagnosis and timely treatment, and to prevent the development of more severe complications; and (3) Tertiary prevention: controlling disease progression and preventing the worsening of complications. As patients with chronic diseases may experience diverse and individualized complications, standardized case management is often difficult to implement. Therefore, it is necessary to develop personalized and tailored chronic disease prevention and management strategies for individual patients.
The Center will address key issues through the framework of the three levels and five stages of prevention, and provide comprehensive preventive recommendations. Ultimately, these efforts aim to reduce the substantial social and economic burden on the healthcare system and patients’ families, encourage healthcare institutions to participate in integrated care networks, enhance continuity of care, reduce overall national healthcare expenditures, and optimize national policies for the prevention and control of chronic diseases.
Taiwan has repeatedly shared its experiences in NCDs prevention and health promotion at the World Health Assembly (WHA), including policy initiatives on cancer prevention and control, tobacco control, and chronic disease prevention and management. These contributions have received strong recognition and positive feedback from participating countries.
Currently, Taiwan’s health and welfare policies provide the public with six cancer screening services, including cervical cytology (Pap smear), oral mucosal screening, mammography, fecal occult blood testing, and Helicobacter pylori stool antigen test. Moreover, Taiwan is the first country in the world to offer low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) lung cancer screening simultaneously to heavy smokers and individuals with a family history of lung cancer. This initiative has proven effective in reducing cancer mortality and improving survival rates.
Through the implementation of the Metabolic Syndrome Prevention and Control Program, Taiwan has also shared its experience in engaging physicians to assist individuals in improving disease risk factors. Experts attending the World Health Assembly have highly recognized and commended Taiwan’s achievements, while also actively exchanging strategies and experiences in NCDs prevention and control with Taiwan. These interactions have created important opportunities for future policy development and international collaboration, facilitating global knowledge exchange to jointly advance policies for the prevention and control of NCDs worldwide.
Accordingly, the Research Center for Medical Technology and Policy can actively facilitate the exchange and sharing of policy implementation experiences among scholars and experts by organizing thematic seminars and focused conferences. Through interactive discussions and the integration of diverse research evidence, the Center aims to effectively disseminate the University’s achievements in NCDs prevention and control, as well as public health protection initiatives. At the same time, the Center will draw on international experiences in health and welfare policies and the implementation of disease prevention and control measures.
Through international collaboration and academic exchange, the Center will fulfill its role as a medical policy think tank by providing strategic guidance for the implementation of health and welfare policies. These efforts will support the government in formulating comprehensive chronic disease prevention and health promotion programs, contribute to the continuous improvement of population health, and promote joint action to address global public health challenges, ultimately advancing better health care for all.