With more than one-fifth of its population now aged 65 or older, Taiwan has formally entered the ranks of super-aged societies. As this demographic shift accelerates, the central focus is on ensuring people spend as many years as possible in good health.

Against this backdrop, the 2026 Healthy Aging Forum, held by AmCham Taiwan and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) on February 3 at the Shangri-La Far Eastern, Taipei, convened policymakers, clinicians, and industry leaders to examine how Taiwan’s healthcare system can evolve to meet the demands of an aging society.

In his opening remarks, AIT Director Raymond Greene pointed to President Lai Ching-te’s Healthy Taiwan initiative as a shift toward prevention and long-term resilience, adding that “real progress depends on strong public-private partnerships.” Greene noted that supply chain resilience is “not only an economic priority, but a public health necessity,” particularly as demand for medicines, vaccines, and critical care technologies grows.

AmCham Taiwan President Carl Wegner echoed the emphasis on collective action, arguing that healthy aging “does not belong to any single institution or sector.” Demographic change, he said, requires whole-of-society solutions that bring together policy, medical expertise, and innovation, urging participants to “reimagine it” as an opportunity to redesign systems for resilience and inclusion.

The first keynote was delivered by Dr. Yu Ming-lung, president of Kaohsiung Medical University, who focused on metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) as a significant but under-recognized contributor to poor health in older populations. Allowing fatty liver disease to progress untreated significantly increases the risk of hepatitis, cirrhosis, and fibrosis, with consequences for both liver and cardiovascular mortality. To address gaps in early detection, Dr. Yu called for broader use of blood testing, fibroscans, and integrated platforms to improve long-term risk tracking and control.

Dr. Chang Chi-jen, deputy director of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s Department of Cardiology, followed with a keynote on severe aortic stenosis, now the second leading cardiovascular cause of death among the elderly. He highlighted the expanding role of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), noting that outcomes are comparable to surgical valve replacement and that Taiwan has offered the procedure since 2010. As populations age, he added, care planning must maintain long-term perspectives.

The third keynote, delivered by Deputy Superintendent of Far Eastern Memorial Hospital Dr. Hung Fang-ming, examined aging through the lens of intensive and critical care. With roughly 75% of elderly patients requiring long-term care or assisted living after ICU discharge, improved outcomes require earlier intervention, careful fluid management, kidney protection, and the use of AI to reduce reliance on invasive assessments, he said.

The first panel was moderated by Dr. Hsu Huey-heng, vice president of the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI), and examined how integrated care models can address overlapping pressures across chronic disease, cardiovascular conditions, and critical care. Dr. Yu highlighted AI-supported screening pilots targeting high-risk patients to improve earlier detection. Meanwhile, Health Promotion Administration Director General Dr. Shen Ching-fen noted that adult health exams should assess long-term health outlooks rather than rely solely on blood tests. Dr. Chen Liang-yu, director general of the National Health Insurance Administration, pointed to outcome-linked reimbursement reforms, citing Taiwan’s early eradication of hepatitis C as proof that aligned incentives can work.

The afternoon program opened with a keynote by Dr. Sheng Wang-huei, vice superindendent of National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) Hsinchu Branch, examining the impact of Covid-19 and long Covid on healthy life expectancy and highlighting vaccination as a key tool for protecting functional health. NTUH Vice Superintendent Dr. Huang Kuo-chin followed with a presentation on pneumococcal disease, stressing the role of vaccination in preventing severe outcomes among the elderly. Finally, Dr. Chen Liang-kung, superintendent of Taipei Municipal Gan-Dau Hospital, argued that extending “healthy years” requires integrating medical care with psychological support, community engagement, and sustained long-term follow-up.

The second panel explored strategies to improve healthy life expectancy from a population and systems perspective, focusing on prevention, vaccination, and post-pandemic risk management. Dr. Sheng noted that chronic disease sharply increases mortality risk, calling for recalibrated vaccination policies, while Dr. Huang highlighted new epidemiological findings and closer hospital-CDC coordination. For his part, Dr. Chen argued that extending healthy years and improving quality of life should be the central objective. NHRI President Dr. Sytwu Huey-kang stressed the need for stronger evidence to guide policy, and CDC Director General Dr. Lo Yi-chun pointed to expanded surveillance as a tool for earlier risk detection and response.

In the forum’s closing remarks, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang reflected on the challenges Taiwan faces as a super-aged society, noting the need for sustained, coordinated action. He stressed that addressing aging-related health risks will require closer alignment among prevention, clinical care, research, and public engagement rather than isolated initiatives. Strengthening population health is an ongoing effort, dependent on continued dialogue and cooperation across government, healthcare institutions, and international partners, he said.

The 2026 Healthy Aging Forum was sponsored by Amway, Edwards Lifesciences, MSD, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and Vantive.