Taiwan has achieved the World Health Organization’s (WHO) goal of eliminating Hepatitis C by 2025, reaching this milestone ahead of the global timeline. Through cross-sectoral collaboration from central to local levels, the nation has established an integrated strategy covering prevention, screening, and treatment. The results have been outstanding, with all key indicators surpassing the WHO’s Path to Elimination "Gold Tier" standards, including diagnosis and treatment rates exceeding 90%. Taiwan is preparing to submit the "Hepatitis C Elimination Report" to the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO), demonstrating its commitment to global health standards.

Three-Pronged Approach: Treatment, Screening, and Prevention

In response to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) held the International Press Conference on Eliminate Hepatitis C at the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation.

President Lai Ching-Te,  and Academician Chen Chien-Jen, Convener of the National Validation Task Force for Hepatitis C Elimination, attended the event. During the conference, officials outlined Taiwan’s achievements in Hepatitis C (HCV) prevention and control, highlighting policy directives such as "Therapy Spearheads Prevention", "Screening Supports Therapy", and "Prevention Secures Outcome " to meet the WHO elimination targets.

Efforts of Cross-Sectoral Collaboration Culminate in Submission of Elimination Report to WHO WPRO

Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-Liang stated that chronic Hepatitis B and C constitute a significant disease burden in Taiwan. To eliminate Hepatitis C, the government has adopted core strategies centered on "Precision Public Health", "Localized Care Delivery" and "Continuum of Care". These strategies aim to provide precise, comprehensive, and effective screening and treatment services.

Since 2003, the government has provided interferon therapy, and in 2017, direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) initiated reimbursement by National Health Insurance (NHI). As of October 2025, over 182,000 patients have received DAA treatment, with a total expenditure of approximately NT$28.7 billion. To boost screening capacity, the government expanded the screening age range to 45–79 years in 2020 and further widened eligibility to those aged 39–79 in 2025. To date, over 7.55 million individuals have undergone screening.

Director-General Shen Ching-Fen of the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) noted that Taiwan’s Programmatic Targets for HCV elimination have surpassed the Gold Tier standards of the WHO’s "Path to Elimination" (PTE). Both diagnosis and treatment rates now exceed 90%. Regarding prevention and harm reduction measures, the average number of sterile needles and syringes distributed per person who injects drugs (PWID) exceeds 150, while blood safety and injection safety have maintained a 100% record.

Having achieved these staged elimination goals, the Administration aims to further reduce the incidence of Hepatitis C and mortality rates attributable to Hepatitis B and C. Future efforts will focus on strengthening screening, health education campaigns to raise public awareness, and improving treatment accessibility. The public is strongly encouraged to undergo screening and seek early follow-up treatment to consolidate the nation's success in eliminating Hepatitis C.

Through cross-sectoral collaboration involving the MOHW’s Department of Medical Affairs, Department of Mental Health, National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA), Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, and Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, alongside the Ministry of Justice’s Agency of Corrections, local health bureaus, medical institutions, and civic organizations, Taiwan has met the conditions to achieve the planned Hepatitis C elimination goal by 2025—well ahead of schedule.

The government plans to submit the "Taiwan Hepatitis C Elimination Report" to the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) by the end of this year. Moving forward, Taiwan remains committed to implementing relevant control measures and sharing its successful prevention and control experiences with the international community