TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Health and Welfare Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) expressed confidence on Thursday (Dec. 12) that Taiwan will achieve its goal of eliminating hepatitis C by 2025. Chiu emphasized the importance of enhanced screening and treatment for drug users, co-infected individuals, and prisoners in the final stretch.
Chiu recalled his time as a resident physician in 1987, highlighting the longstanding health threat posed by hepatitis B and C in Taiwan. He noted that liver cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths, has seen a continuous decline in mortality rates, indicating successful hepatitis prevention efforts.
Wu Chao-chun (吳昭軍), Director-General of the Health Promotion Administration (國健署), identified injection drug users as a high-risk group for hepatitis C, with infection rates reaching 90%. He also pointed out that hepatitis C patients often exhibit comorbidities such as diabetes and kidney disease.
Former Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) stressed the high prevalence of hepatitis C among prisoners, urging Taiwan to accelerate comprehensive screening in prisons. Starting Jan. 1 this year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, 衛福部) increased subsidies for hepatitis B and C screenings from NT$200 to NT$370. By June 2024, over 6.66 million people had undergone screening.
