Cardiovascular disease remains one of Taiwan’s leading public health challenges, with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) — a condition caused by plaque buildup in the arteries — accounting for a significant share of morbidity and mortality.
“If you’re not motivated to address the second leading cause of death in Taiwan — and the leading cause globally — then that’s a problem,” says Judith Love, president of Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMA) for Novartis. “Around 85% of cardiovascular disease is ASCVD-related, so the scale is enormous.”
The disease has long been primarily associated with older adults, but recent data indicates that the problem is far broader. Through the joint efforts of National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA), Novartis Taiwan, and academic and medical community partners, the research found that nearly 60% of hospitalized ASCVD patients in Taiwan were under the age of 70, highlighting persistent gaps in testing and monitoring among working-age adults.
The project was conducted under the first memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the NHIA and a pharmaceutical company for research focusing on ASCVD prevention and reassessment. Drawing on ASCVD health insurance data, the collaboration identified major gaps in testing and care planning after acute cardiovascular events.
As many as 35% of patients did not receive LDL-C testing during their first hospitalization, while rehospitalization rates reached 40% during the first year after discharge. These findings helped shape Taiwan’s ASCVD Clinical Pathway, supported by nine major medical societies, which established clearer standards for acute-phase testing, reassessment, and treatment adjustment in high-risk patients.
“These are not just numbers,” says Love. “They are our friends, colleagues, neighbors. This MOU has been beautifully executed and implemented, which helps communities understand what we can do with a shared ambition.”
The company’s work with government agencies, medical societies, and healthcare institutions also helped to address the consequences of fragmented follow-up timelines. Only 34.1% of patients achieved recommended cholesterol control targets one year after an ASCVD event, while nearly 40% of patients did not receive regular lipid-lowering treatment after discharge.
Particular emphasis was placed on the first six to eight weeks following discharge, a period increasingly viewed as critical for reassessing whether patients are meeting health targets and determining whether therapy adjustment is necessary.
“We’ve contributed our expertise to the publication of the ‘Clinical Pathway,’” Love says. “And that pathway is important because it creates consistency — patients can visit different hospitals and still receive care aligned with international guidelines.”
The broader significance of the initiative extends beyond ASCVD alone. Under Taiwan’s “Healthy Taiwan” and related chronic disease programs, policymakers are increasingly focusing on sustaining medical supervision, reducing recurrence risk through earlier intervention, and creating more standardized disease management approaches.
Love spoke of Taiwan’s ability to align policy direction, funding, medical societies, and healthcare infrastructure around shared objectives as one of the country’s greatest advantages.
“The difference is not just technical capability — it’s alignment,” she says. “The Healthy Taiwan initiative starts from the top levels of government. Funding has been allocated, there’s a long-term vision, medical societies are aligned, and industry is focused on the same objectives.”
That level of coordination has shaped how Taiwan approaches implementation. In 2026, the NHIA formally launched its ASCVD Pay-for-Performance program, investing NT$113 million (US$3.5 million) to encourage hospitals and clinics to adopt the clinical pathway, including the six-to-eight-week follow-up and treatment-adjustment process.
The introduction of new digital tools aimed at improving ASCVD risk awareness and long-term outcomes has further strengthened Taiwan’s broader cardiovascular strategy. Through a dedicated ASCVD section within the NHI app, patients can view cholesterol test results and associated risk levels directly through their phones.
“Patients today are far more proactive in managing their own health,” Love says. “They’re no longer passive recipients of care.” For Novartis, moving discussions beyond policy into practical implementation models not only enables a more health-conscious Taiwan, but also positions Taiwan as an example of how cross-sector engagement translates into public health impact for patients.
While challenges remain, Love notes that Taiwan already possesses many of the foundations needed to continue improving the lives of those managing heart health.
“Taiwan has approached this as an ecosystem, not just a single policy initiative,” she says. “It’s practical, measur-able, and will stand the test of time.”
