Taiwan Establishes 'Future of Healthcare Sub-Fund' at APEC, Donates US$1.5 Million

(Central News Agency, reporter Yang Yaoru, Taipei, 8th) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today that Taiwan's major initiative proposed at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) for the first time in nearly a decade, the 'Sub-Fund for the Future of Healthcare,' has been formally established. A memorandum of understanding for a donation of US$1.5 million was signed during the APEC Second Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM2) in May.

In a press release issued this afternoon, the Ministry stated that this major initiative, proposed by the government at APEC for the first time in nearly a decade, received unanimous support from all APEC member economies. Taiwan's APEC Senior Official and Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, Sun Chien-yuan, and APEC Secretariat Executive Director Eduardo Pedrosa signed the memorandum for the US$1.5 million donation during the SOM2 in May, witnessed by over 40 delegates from delegations including the United States and Canada.

The Ministry noted that the initiative considers healthcare and population aging as common concerns for all APEC members, while leveraging Taiwan's advantages in smart healthcare. It aims to further strengthen Taiwan's leadership role in digital health issues within APEC and create business opportunities for high-quality domestic industries.

In his remarks, Sun Chien-yuan stated that the 'Sub-Fund for the Future of Healthcare' is APEC's first sub-fund focused specifically on 'healthcare.' It aims to provide grants for economies to hold related meetings and activities, promote the implementation of a 'patient-centered' healthcare system through public-private partnerships, and utilize emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to address the increasing medical problems arising from demographic changes.

Pedrosa pointed out that the sub-fund is highly aligned with the goals of 'improving the health and well-being of the people' emphasized in APEC's 'Putrajaya Vision 2040' and the 'Aotearoa Plan of Action.' He noted that Taiwan's establishment of the first healthcare-themed sub-fund at APEC will help economies conduct relevant policy dialogues and capacity building, jointly addressing the challenges posed by population aging to economic growth and labor shortages. (Editor: Su Zhizong) 1150608