A government-funded hepatitis screening policy for people born before 1986 would be expanded on Friday, adding nearly 2 million to those who are eligible, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said on Friday.
The previous policy, which has run since 2011, was for one free hepatitis B and C screening for people aged 45 to 79, HPA Director General Wu Chao-chun (吳昭軍) said.
The agency is making the change to align with the WHO’s goal of eradicating viral hepatitis by 2030, Wu said.
Photo: Lin Chih-yi, Taipei Times
Hepatitis B rates in Taiwan have dropped to 9.5 percent from 15.6 percent in 2011, while hepatitis C rates have fallen to 1.5 percent from 3.6 percent in the same period, the HPA said in a statement.
The results serve as “a solid foundation” to achieve the goal of eradicating hepatitis C in Taiwan this year, the statement said.
With screening and treatment, it is possible to fully recover from hepatitis C and mitigate the risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, Wu said.
Daily habits are also vital to preventing hepatitis, the HPA said.
Hepatitis B transmits through contact with blood and other bodily fluids, which is why sharing personal items such as needles, toothbrushes and razors should be avoided, it said.
Hepatitis C transmits through blood-to-blood contact, and people should be cautious when getting ear piercings, tattoos and acupuncture therapies, it said.
With World Hepatitis Day tomorrow, the WHO called on nations to “dismantle the financial, social and systemic barriers — including stigma — that stand in the way of hepatitis elimination and liver cancer prevention.”
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