In response to evolving demographic trends and the need to sustain workforce development, the Ministry of Labor, the Taiwan Environmental and Occupational Medicine Association, the Taiwan Occupational Hygiene Association, and Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital jointly organized the “2026 International Conference on Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine” from April 24 to 26 at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. The conference brought together domestic and international representatives from academia and industry in the fields of occupational health and occupational medicine.

At the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Labor Lee Chien-Hung delivered remarks emphasizing that, in the face of challenges such as population aging, declining birth rates, and labor shortages, enterprises should develop sustainable occupational safety and health strategies to foster workplace environments that are both worker-friendly and dignified, thereby strengthening talent retention and recruitment. Deputy Minister Lee also noted that, to strengthen workplace safety and labor protection, the Ministry of Labor has promoted amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which were promulgated by the President on December 19, 2025. The amendments focus on “comprehensive occupational safety prevention” and the “legal institutionalization of workplace bullying prevention.” Key revisions strengthen preventive mechanisms for high-risk industries and contractor safety management, while also adding a dedicated chapter on workplace bullying prevention. In addition to clearly defining workplace bullying, the amendments require employers to establish complaint and handling mechanisms according to enterprise scale and publicly disclose relevant information to better protect workers' rights.

A highlight of the conference took place on the second day with the National Occupational Injury and Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Network Integrated Service Results Presentation. The event brought together accredited occupational injury and disease diagnosis and treatment hospitals from across Taiwan to present and discuss special occupational disease cases and integrated treatment service outcomes. A total of nine presentations were delivered, jointly moderated by Occupational Safety and Health Administration Deputy Director-General Lee Wen-Jinn and Center for Occupational Accident Prevention and Rehabilitation Deputy CEO Huang Ching-Chun.

Deputy Director-General Lee stated that the Ministry of Labor has revised and promulgated the “Directions for Subsidy of Occupational Injury and Disease Treatment Network Hospitals and Reporters.” Through institutional optimization and enhanced subsidy mechanisms, the initiative encourages network hospitals to more actively engage in occupational injury and disease diagnosis, treatment, and reporting. Under the guidance of designated specialist hospitals, Taiwan’s occupational injury and disease diagnosis and treatment service capacity is expected to continue improving. The sharing and discussion of integrated treatment service outcomes also serve as valuable references for hospitals seeking to further enhance service quality.