Co-learning in crisis: A comparative analysis of digital preparedness during COVID-19 in Taiwan and the United Kingdom

This article provides a comparative analysis of digital interventions implemented in Taiwan and the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic to examine how national contexts shaped the rollout and reception of these technologies. Our analysis challenges the simplistic East/West divide often invoked in pandemic response analyses, which arose during and in the wake of the pandemic, arguing that successes or failures of digital health interventions must exceed assumed cultural traits in East or West, and consider sociohistorical factors, legal frameworks, and specific political contexts. By advancing interdisciplinary co-learning between research communities in Taiwan and the UK, this article offers actionable insights for enhancing digital preparedness for future global public health emergencies, underscoring the importance of cultures of preparedness, transparency, and public trust and responsible data governance for digital health technologies.