In response to studies that predict a 60-percent increase in the number of new incidents of cancer in the next 15 years, the Department of Health is working on policies to boost cancer prevention and treatment.
"The number of new cancer cases occurring each year is estimated to jump to 100,000 from the current 60,000 in just 15 years. It's a very frightening statistic," said Lin Shio-jean (林秀娟), director general of the department's Bureau of Health Promotion.
With 100,000 new cancer cases each year, 410 of every 100,000 people will be afflicted with some form of cancer.
"The increase in the cancer incidence rate in recent years can be attributed mostly to an aging population. Also, people are living longer than they used to. The environment and eating habits are also factors," Lin said.
According to the bureau's records, the percentage of people aged over 65 in the country is estimated to increase from 7 to 14 in just 27 years. In other developed nations, this process takes 45 to 115 years.
Lin explained that the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Five Year Plan, slated to be implemented next January, will focus on curbing smoking and betel-nut chewing, as well as lowering the incidence of obesity. Widespread inoculation to protect against Hepatitis B and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is also a primary component of the plan.
In order to promote early detection, the plan makes available several medical examinations to high-risk groups free of charge. Medical fees for pap smears would be covered by National Health Insurance. Studies have shown a clear link between HPV and cervical cancer.
Free biennial mammograms for women between 50 and 69 years of age will be introduced. Women with a history of breast cancer in their immediate families would also be eligible for tests every year and before the age of 50.
Those who smoke or chew betel nut will be eligible for free oral cancer exams every three years.
In addition, the department hopes to offer Hepatitis B carriers over the age of 40 a series of follow-up detection exams.
In terms of prevention, the department anticipates passing laws to allow for the control of betel-nut distribution as well as for health taxes to be collected on betel-nut purchases.
The Taipei Zoo on Saturday said it would pursue legal action against a man who was filmed climbing over a railing to tease and feed spotted hyenas in their enclosure earlier that day. In videos uploaded to social media on Saturday, a man can be seen climbing over a protective railing and approaching a ledge above the zoo’s spotted hyena enclosure, before dropping unidentified objects down to two of the animals. The Taipei Zoo in a statement said the man’s actions were “extremely inappropriate and even illegal.” In addition to monitoring the hyenas’ health, the zoo would collect evidence provided by the public
A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday. It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said. The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit
A road safety advocacy group yesterday called for reforms to the driver licensing and retraining system after a pedestrian was killed and 15 other people were injured in a two-bus collision in Taipei. “Taiwan’s driver’s licenses are among the easiest to obtain in the world, and there is no mandatory retraining system for drivers,” Taiwan Vision Zero Alliance, a group pushing to reduce pedestrian fatalities, said in a news release. Under the regulations, people who have held a standard car driver’s license for two years and have completed a driver training course are eligible to take a test
‘SIGN OF DANGER’: Beijing has never directly named Taiwanese leaders before, so China is saying that its actions are aimed at the DPP, a foundation official said National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) yesterday accused Beijing of spreading propaganda, saying that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had singled out President William Lai (賴清德) in his meeting with US President Joe Biden when talking about those whose “true nature” seek Taiwanese independence. The Biden-Xi meeting took place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru on Saturday. “If the US cares about maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait, it is crucial that it sees clearly the true nature of Lai and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in seeking Taiwanese independence, handles the Taiwan question with extra
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