Taiwan has eliminated hepatitis C ahead of schedule, with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) praising the achievement as a significant milestone in international public health history. The Health Ministry announced on Wednesday at the International Conference on Elimination of Hepatitis C that Taiwan met its 2025 target five years early, surpassing the WHO’s 2030 goal for eliminating viral hepatitis.

Liver cancer is Taiwan's second-leading cause of cancer death, mainly due to hepatitis B and C. In 2018, the ministry launched the Taiwan Hepatitis C Policy Guideline 2018-2025 to strengthen prevention and treatment efforts. Officials have prepared a report and plan to submit it by the end of the year, under the name "Chinese Taipei," for verification from the WHO Western Pacific Region. 

Lai highlighted Taiwan's pioneering universal hepatitis B vaccination program in 1984, which became a model for the WHO. He stated that the Asia-Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver rated Taiwan highest in areas like action plans, funding, commitment, and elimination efforts. 

Since taking office last year, Lai has repeatedly stressed the importance of building a "Healthy Taiwan" through initiatives such as the Healthy Taiwan Cultivation Plan, cancer treatment programs, and chronic disease management.