New Horizon of Liver Disease Management: Taiwan Experience

Liver disease has been seen as the national disease for many years. Liver disease management has been identified as government’s public health top priority. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the 2 key risk factors for liver cancer. Government, physicians, public health experts and pharmaceutical companies have been working together to achieve reducing HBV, HCV and liver cancer for many years.

In the past 30 years, 2 key milestone have been achieved. Vice President Chen was invited by WHO to share Taiwan successful experience on reducing HBV prevalence rate from around 20% to 1% through the HBV vaccination program implemented in 1980. Unlike HBV, HCV has no vaccine, fortunately, with pharmaceutical R&D, new HCV drugs launched few years ago, which can achieve over 90% cure rate. Government reimbursement HCV drugs in 2017 which is another key milestone of combating liver disease in Taiwan.

How can government, physicians, public health experts and pharmaceutical industry to work even closer to eliminate liver disease in Taiwan? We would like to learn the 1 million dollar answer from 2 respectful speakers, Dr. DS Chen, the academicians of Academic Sinica, and Dr. Jasmine Pwu, the Director of National HCV office.