Taiwan's parliament passed the biggest restructuring of its health ministry since 2013, a neutral-to-positive move aimed at the country's falling birthrate and aging population.

• The old Social and Family Affairs Administration is being scrapped and split into two new agencies.
• One will handle childcare, child welfare and children's health; the other covers seniors, disability services, long-term care and the national pension.
• Two new institutions were also created: one for traditional Chinese medicine research, one to assess new medical technology and drugs before deciding what health insurance should pay for.
• The driver is demographics — fewer babies and more old people are straining Taiwan's care system.
• Lawmakers also urged the ministry to raise the status of its women's affairs unit and put more focus on Indigenous health, though those requests are not binding.

Outlook: The new agencies now have to be staffed and stood up, with childcare and elder care spending likely to grow from here.