TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Centers for Disease Control plans to expand the HIV treatment subsidy program to include two additional categories of foreign residents, with the changes expected to take effect as early as the end of the year.
CDC Director-General Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) announced Monday that the agency has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Health and Welfare to extend government-funded HIV treatment to foreign nationals holding permanent residency permits and legally residing minors under the age of 18, per CNA.
Lo said Taiwan reports approximately 800 to 900 new HIV infections each year, with foreign residents accounting for about 10% of new cases. While the number of infections among Taiwanese has continued to decline, infections among foreign residents have not shown the same downward trend.
Under the current subsidy program, only three categories of legally residing foreign nationals qualify for government-funded HIV treatment: foreign spouses; residents covered under the Thai-Myanmar program and Tibetan residents in Taiwan; and foreign nationals who contracted HIV through medical treatment in Taiwan.
Foreign residents outside those categories must pay approximately NT$12,000 to NT$18,000 (US$380 to US$560) per month for antiretroviral medication and related medical care. Lo described the proposal as "a small step toward equal rights" for people living with HIV and said the changes would bring Taiwan's policies more in line with those of other developed countries in the region.
The CDC estimates the expanded eligibility would increase annual government spending by about NT$5.5 million, an amount Lo said can be accommodated within the existing budget. Lo said expanding access would strengthen Taiwan's HIV prevention efforts by ensuring more infected individuals receive treatment and remain within the public health monitoring system.
Lo's announcement was made at a public event promoting Taiwan's U=U Day on Thursday. The campaign highlights scientific evidence supporting the "Undetectable = Untransmittable" (U=U) principle, which shows that people living with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load through consistent treatment do not transmit the virus through sexual contact, per a press release.
Taiwan AIDS Society Chair Lu Po-liang (盧柏樑) said large-scale international clinical studies published over the past decade have consistently shown that people living with HIV who receive stable antiretroviral therapy and achieve an undetectable viral load do not transmit the virus through sexual activity.
Lu said about 8% of people living with HIV in Taiwan have not yet been tested or started treatment. He noted that current HIV medications typically require only one pill a day, offer significantly improved effectiveness, and cause fewer side effects than earlier treatments.
He encouraged people who may be infected to seek testing and treatment, saying consistent medication allows individuals to lead normal lives, maintain healthy relationships, and reduce fear of the disease and the stigma associated with HIV.
HIV/AIDS Rights Advocacy Association Secretary-General Lin Yi-hui (林宜慧) said public awareness of the U=U concept has steadily increased but remains concentrated in Taipei. She said that this year, a mobile U=U health education campaign will visit six major cities across Taiwan to broaden public outreach, per the press release.
