| Taiwan's medical facilities were seriously damaged during the Second World War and much was to be done thereafter. As Taiwan is located in the sub-tropics, epidemics were frequent at the time. Health authorities decided to put medical progression on the back burner, and gave precedence to the fundamental development of a public health system. This policy served to lay a solid and strong foundation for Taiwan's medical advancement in later years. The major measures taken at the time included the wide establishment of health stations, the elimination of malaria, plague, and cholera, the application of universal vaccination, the promotion of women's and children's health and the improvement of family planning. It also promoted the construction of a health network prior to the launching of the National Health Insurance program. |