Reported by Lee Shu-Jen, Chen Yu-Chin and Chien Hao-Cheng from Taipei

The Taiwan Association for the Study of Liver, the Keelung Association for Liver Disease Prevention and Control and the United Daily News jointly organized an expert meeting on hepatitis C treatment.  “Through the joint effort of the industry, the government and the academia, Taiwan will accelerate the eradication of hepatitis C.  The budget won’t be an issue,” said Dr Chen Shih-Chung, the MOHW Minister, in the expert meeting.   The MOHW intends to completely eradicate hepatitis C in Taiwan by 2025, a few years earlier than the WHO’s target.

Dr Chen had vowed to eradicate hepatitis C at any cost before he was appointed as the MOHW Minister. Now, as the MOHW Minister, Dr Chen keeps his promise and insists that the budget will not be a problem.  The MOHW will negotiate with drug companies for an agreement on late payment in case of a budget deficit. 

Dr Chien Rong-Nan, President of the Keelung Association for Liver Disease Prevention and Control, expressed that Taiwan has an exemplary program for hepatitis B treatment.  However, the program for hepatitis C treatment is less impressive; and there is still room for improvement.  It is estimated that there are about 0.5 million patients with hepatitis C in Taiwan; however, half of them are not aware of their conditions.  It is quite often that patients only become aware of their hepatitis C infection after they are diagnosed with liver cancer, cirrhosis or esophageal varices rupture.

Dr Lee Po-Chang, the General Director of the NHIA, expressed that about 100,000 patients have received the treatments of ribavirin and interferon since the hepatitis treatment pilot program started.  Among them, 80,000 patients are cured.  The new oral drugs for hepatitis C entered the NHI Benefit Scheme in 2017, pushing Taiwan one step forward towards the eradication of hepatitis C.

Dr Chen Ding-Shinn, an Academician of the Academia Sinica, expressed that he had been worried about the financial impact of the expensive new drugs for hepatitis C on the NHI; however, due to the MOHW’s efforts, legislators’ support and the media’s campaign, the new drugs are now available under the NHI.

Dr Chien Rong-Nan pointed out that since then the NHI-reimbursed new oral drugs for hepatitis C have cured about 30,000 patients.  It would have taken 5 years to reach such a result with the conventional treatments.

Experts expressed that the healthcare system should reach those patients who are not aware of their conditions, lack relevant knowledge, or live in remote and healthcare-deprived areas.  The Director of the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) pointed out that the HPA will adjust the screening policy and make it more accessible in rural areas.

【2018-10-18/ United Daily News】