TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) pledged Friday (Dec. 5) to increase home dialysis rates to 18% by 2035. Taiwan faces a significant health challenge with 97,000 patients requiring hemodialysis last year. President Lai addressed the Asia-Pacific Congress of Nephrology (亞太腎臟醫學會議), emphasizing the government's commitment to advancing kidney disease treatment. Taiwan, often dubbed the "Kingdom of Dialysis" (洗腎王國), struggles with high dialysis rates compared to other developed nations.
President Lai highlighted that kidney disease represents a major international public health challenge, affecting approximately 90,000 end-stage renal disease patients in Taiwan annually. The condition incurs medical costs of US$1.5 billion (around NT$47 billion), significantly impacting the nation's public health system and resources. Despite this challenge, the age-standardized incidence rate of dialysis has dropped from 318 per million people in 2005 to 290 per million in 2022.
Lai mentioned that the government is implementing a comprehensive health initiative to improve early screening and appropriate medical intervention for kidney disease patients across Taiwan. The initiative includes increasing the coverage of the blood sugar-lowering drug SGLT2 inhibitors to prevent disease progression and reduce dialysis needs. Currently, less than 8% of kidney disease patients opt for home peritoneal dialysis treatment, a figure the government aims to increase significantly.
At a pre-conference press briefing, Health Promotion Administration (HPA, 國健署), Taiwan's health promotion agency, Director-General Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬) stated that 10% of Taiwanese over 40 years old have abnormal kidney function. She emphasized the inseparable link between managing the 'three highs' — high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol — and chronic kidney disease prevention. The administration plans to enhance educational resources to improve patient awareness and disease literacy. ◼