Health ministry plans to expand free cancer screening
Posted on 2025-02-05 08:14:14
The Ministry of Health has annoucned plans to promote gastric cancer screening by expanding a free program to cover all of Taiwan by 2026.
The ministry's Health Promotion Administration says the program will be paid for by the National Health Insurance for eligible individuals, and will be further expanded to Taiwan's 22 cities and counties next year from current 17.
According to administration head Wu Chao-chun, it will be Taiwan's sixth free cancer screening program.
Wu says cancer often has no obvious symptoms in its early stages, and by the time it is diagnosed, it may be too late .. meaning it's only through early detection and treatment that the development of cancer can be blocked and the survival rate boosted.
Under the health ministry's plan, people aged between 45 and 79 will be eligible for the government-funded gastric cancer screening.
That's the same as those currently eligible for the National Health Insurance covered colorectal cancer screening.
Data shows that between 4.8 and 5-million people receive government-subsidized cancer screening services every year.
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