TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Health Promotion Administration (HPA, 國民健康署) announced on Tuesday (Jan. 14) that 60% of Taiwan's top 10 causes of death relate to chronic diseases. These conditions also account for the highest spending in the National Health Insurance (NHI, 全民健康保險) system. The administration aims to tackle this issue by offering free adult health checkups to detect health abnormalities early.
Hu Yi-chun (胡怡君), an HPA official, emphasized the importance of these checkups. She stated that through government-funded adult health exams, individuals can detect health anomalies in asymptomatic individuals, preventing or delaying chronic diseases and encouraging young people to establish regular checkup habits. The adult preventive health services now include uric acid testing, identifying it as a high-risk factor for chronic diseases, with a prevalence rate of 21.9% in men and 9.8% in women aged 19 and above.
Starting in 2025, adults aged 30 and above can benefit from a free health checkup every five years, potentially aiding 3.2 million people. Huang Chi-chia (黃啓嘉), an executive director at the Taiwan Medical Association (中華民國醫師公會全國聯合會), noted that young adults around 30 are keen on investing in their health and will actively participate if resources are available.
Meanwhile, WBSC Premier12 pitcher Chen Kuan-yu (陳冠宇) stressed the importance of health for athletes, urging peers to seize the opportunity for free checkups to detect early warning signs. A HPA survey conducted from 2019 to 2023 highlighted that 9.7% of individuals aged 30 to 39 have high blood pressure, 2.5% have high blood sugar, and 18.7% have high cholesterol. These statistics underscore the need for proactive health measures among Taiwan's younger population.