The Formosa Cancer Foundation (FCF), Taiwan Association of University Professors, Nutrition Foundation of Taiwan and Wu Hsin-tai, head of Taiwan Statebuilding Party’s Taipei chapter on June 14 held a joint news conference urging the government to accelerate legislation to amendment the Cancer Control Act as well as to enact an Act to enable nutritionists to enable the diets of the public.

Formosa Cancer Foundation vice president Tsai Li-chuan said that cancer has ranked first among Taiwan’s top 10 leading causes of deaths for 41 years, with the number of new cancer patients increasing by 30 percent compared to a decade ago. However, the expansion of National Health Insurance (NHI) funding has not kept pace with the rise in demand, with new cancer drugs continuing to be subject to stringent reimbursement requirements and delayed inclusion on the NHI fee schedule. Several patient groups have advised the government to amend the Cancer Control Act to enable the establishment of the Taiwan modified Cancer Drug Fund (TmCDF) to enable better patient access to new drugs and to improve cancer survival.

Wu Hsin-tai also said that in 2018, spending on cancer care surpassed NT$100 billion, with cancer drugs accounting for NT$40 billion, rising 11.67 percent higher compared to the previous year, while the global budget only grew by 5.33 percent during the same year. She said that establishing the TmCDF will improve planning of funding sources while preventing the devaluation of medical points.

[2023-6-14/Liberty Times]