To strengthen the remote villages and islands health care services

To cope with tough health service issues and act proactively toward a changing society, Taiwan DOH has initiated changes with public health policies through breakthrough strategies.

First of all, the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act has finally passed amendment in June 2007 after a ten-year odyssey. New bans included prohibiting indoor smoking and outdoor public places except designated areas. The amended Act was enforced in Jan 2009. Telephone survey was done one month after, 92% were satisfied the improvement of smoke-free environment.

Toward another challenge, epidemic dengue, Taiwan CDC has implemented a reinforced four-year program of dengue fever control aiming at eliminating vector-breeding sources and reducing incidence rates of indigenous dengue fever.

Furthermore, to strengthen the accessibility, quality and continuity of health care services in remote districts, Taiwan DOH has launched a series of telecare programs, to cope with the health care needs for these areas that are different from the urban area and to alleviate health disparity.

In addition, confronting drug addiction, the program of methadone substitution treatment has been implemented since August, 2005. There has been a total of 25,683 cases entering the medical system and received treatment until December, 2008. The preliminary results are promising.

Yet timely postvention services for suicide attempters are seldom delivered. To tackle this issue, Taiwan has established a National suicide surveillance/aftercare system to make attempters easier to track.

The last but not the least, to integrate the communication technology and health information technology overcome the geographic limitation, scare health resource, and transform the health care systems in Taiwan.