Lai Ching-te aims to cut cancer deaths by one-third by 2030

President Lai Ching-te announced today at a press conference at the Presidential Office that the government has set a goal to "reduce the age-standardized cancer mortality rate by one-third by 2030." He called for leveraging Taiwan's strengths in biomedical research and development and its comprehensive healthcare system, partnering with the molecular medicine community to promote precision medicine, and realizing the vision of a "Healthy Taiwan." This declaration not only refocuses attention on public health policy but also demonstrates the Executive Yuan's determination to use quantitative indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of its health policies, with the hope of ensuring that cancer is no longer the leading cause of death among citizens within the next decade.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, cancer has ranked as the leading cause of death nationwide for many years. In 2022, Taiwan's age-standardized cancer mortality rate was approximately 120 per 100,000 population, a decrease of only about 5% compared to a decade ago. Among these, four major categories—lung cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer—account for over 70 percent of total deaths. Furthermore, due to an aging population and changing lifestyles, incidence rates continue to show an upward trend. Without intervention, it is projected that the number of deaths will exceed 40,000 by 2030, posing a severe impact on medical resources and socio-economic stability. Therefore, the one-third reduction target set by the government means lowering the mortality rate to about 80 per 100,000 population. This represents not only a challenge to medical technology but also requires comprehensive efforts in early screening, health education, and cross-sectoral collaboration.

At the policy level, the state has promoted the Cancer Prevention and Control Act and the Cancer Prevention and Control Plan over the past decade, including expanding low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer, establishing a national cancer registry system, and strengthening the professional development of cancer centers. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Health Research Institutes also launched a "Five-Year Cancer Prevention and Control Plan" in 2021, focusing on prevention for high-risk groups and improving treatment quality. These measures have gradually improved the five-year survival rates for certain cancers; for instance, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer has increased from 80% to over 90%. However, facing emerging cancer types and molecular-level heterogeneity, traditional screening and treatment models alone are no longer sufficient to meet the demand for reducing mortality rates.

Taiwan possesses international competitiveness in biomedical technology and molecular medicine, with over a hundred biotech companies and multiple university research centers focusing on cutting-edge technologies such as cancer biomarkers, immunotherapy, and gene editing. The government established the "Precision Medicine Platform" and the "Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative" in 2022. By integrating whole-genome databases with clinical information, it has begun introducing molecular typing and customized medication for lung and colorectal cancer patients. Expanding this platform to all cancer types and integrating it with the National Health Insurance system will enhance early diagnosis rates and treatment success rates, thereby further compressing the mortality rate. President Lai's mention of "combining Taiwan's deep biomedical R&D capacity" points precisely to these budding cross-disciplinary collaborations, with the expectation of rapidly translating R&D achievements into clinical practice through the resource integration of the government, industry, and academia.

The implementation of this goal is related not only to public health but also to multiple benefits on the economic and political fronts. Reducing cancer mortality can decrease long-term medical and care expenditures and increase labor force participation rates, which is particularly important for an aging Taiwan. At the same time, demonstrating the government's leadership in high-tech healthcare helps elevate its international image and attract foreign investment and talent. Facing upcoming local elections and Legislative Yuan restructuring, the Lai administration has positioned this policy as a major political achievement, expecting to receive positive responses from voters on the health and welfare issues they care about. If the one-third reduction in mortality can be achieved on schedule over the next decade, it will become a milestone in Taiwan's public health history and provide a model for other countries to reference.