Taipei, April 27 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said on Sunday his administration has earmarked NT$5 billion (US$153.54 million) for new cancer drugs this year, half the dedicated funding he pledged as part of a plan to tackle the top cause of death in Taiwan since 1985.
Cancer remained the top cause of death last year, and a top priority for his administration as it kills more than 50,000 people in Taiwan annually, Lai said at a forum organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taipei Sunday.
Noting that he is the first president in Taiwan with a medical background, Lai said he established the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee to deal with 10 proposals presented to him during the inaugural edition of the forum a year ago.
Lai promised to hold the Healthy Taiwan forum on April 27 every year to review his administration’s response to the 10 proposals, including the establishment of a NT$10 billion fund for new cancer drugs.
The government has budgeted NT$5 billion this year and will expand the fund to NT$10 billion as proposed during last year’s forum organized by his mentor, Chen Jyh-hong (陳志鴻), a professor emeritus at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Tainan, according to Lai.
Lai studied medicine at NCKU and became a physician at the university hospital before moving into politics in 1996.
Chen has since been named a deputy convener of the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee established in June 2024 and headed by Lai.
The government also allocated NT$6.8 billion in the 2025 budget to expand eligibility criteria and new tests for Taiwan’s national cancer screening programs, Lai said.
The 2025 budget for cancer screening represents a NT$4 billion increase to address another proposal presented to Lai before he took office in May last year.
Moreover, the National Health Insurance (NHI) budget for 2025 was increased by more than 6 percent, according to Lai, to ensure sufficient funding for medical professionals, improve healthcare services and raise the pay of medical workers.
The president urged medical professionals participating in the annual forum to take part in government policy making and oversee the implementation of health policies.
The government is determined to realize its “Healthy Taiwan” vision, and needs medical workers to be actively involved in reforming Taiwan’s NHI program.
Despite the high satisfaction rate of over 90 percent, there are still improvements to be made to the NHI program, which was launched 30 years ago, the president said.
In addition to cancer, the 10 proposals presented to Lai a year ago cover a wide range of issues, including the introduction of social emotional learning in schools, promoting regular exercise, long-term care and expanding screening for chronic diseases related to high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol.
