TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Free cancer screenings will be expanded to cover stomach cancer in 2026 in a program expected to benefit up to 600,000 people.
Health Promotion Administration Director Wu Chao-chun (吳昭軍) said at a press conference on Tuesday that a pilot program offering cancer screenings in nine areas last year will grow to 17 areas in 2026, per CNA. Wu said the expanded pilot will receive a budget between NT$200 million (US$6.07 million) and NT$300 million.
The administration said screening for stomach cancers will be included among its other free screening programs for cervical, breast, colon, oral, and lung cancer. The stomach cancer screening uses non-invasive sample testing to detect Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection.
The administration said in October that H. pylori infection was responsible for 80% to 90% of the 4,000 stomach cancer cases diagnosed in Taiwan annually. It said this figure made stomach cancer the 8th most common cancer in Taiwan.
Wu said those aged 45 to 79 will be eligible for the free screenings. He said the health ministry screened more than 4.8 million people last year and he hopes to increase this to 7.5-8 million this year, with the ultimate goal of 12 million people annually.
Wu said the screening programs are part of a goal to reduce the cancer mortality rate by a third by 2030. He said this goal will be challenging given Taiwan’s aging population.
