The government aims to extend the average life expectancy by three years to 82 and reduce the average unhealthy period of one’s lifetime from 10 percent to 8 percent, or about 6.56 years, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said at the Healthy Aging Forum in Taipei on Tuesday.
While average life expectancy in Taiwan is almost 80, Taiwanese spend an average of eight years in poor health, meaning that the average Taiwanese spends about 10 percent of their life unhealthy, bed-ridden or in need of care, Cho said.
The government’s medical expenses must increase dramatically if it is to increase life expectancy and the number of healthy years, he said.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
It must prepare long-term plans for medical and care services so that Taiwanese can enjoy a healthier and happier life in their later years, he said.
The goal is to reduce the stress on families and caregivers by ensuring that the public receives greater support, he said.
The Presidential Office established the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee to set essential milestones for achieving the national vision of a “healthy Taiwan,” he said.
The government is developing health policies, Cho said, giving the example of the 888 Program, which aims to admit 80 percent of patients with the “three hypers” — hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and hypertension — under care to ensure they are acclimated to medical consultations and have their conditions under control, Cho said.
The government’s cancer treatment and prevention policies, such as increasing rates of early-stage cancer screenings, targeted gene screenings and precision medicine, and the establishment of a new fund of NT$10 billion (US$304.3 million) to acquire new drugs for cancer treatment, aim to reduce cancer-induced mortality rates by one-third by 2030, he added.
The central government’s fiscal budget for this year grew by NT$280.6 billion compared with last year, much of which is due to increased funding for the National Health Insurance and other health-related programs, he said, urging legislators to be “rational” when reviewing the budget.
Cho said the forum is a significant event and thanked the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham) for providing invaluable opinions on Taiwan’s economy, energy, agriculture, technology development and other fields.
The forum was held in Taipei and cohosted by AmCham and the American Institute in Taiwan.
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