President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) delivered remarks via prerecorded video at the 2026 World Cancer Day event this Wednesday, stating that the government is promoting a national cancer prevention and control plan with the goal of reducing the cancer mortality rate by one-third by 2030.

This year, the Hope Foundation for Cancer Care and Kaohsiung City Government jointly organized an event to commemorate World Cancer Day that saw the foundation’s Vice Chairman Bruce Luo (羅盛典) and over 50 others cycle more than 400 kilometers in three days. The ride reflected the organization’s commitment to fighting cancer and promoting a healthy lifestyle among cancer survivors.

In his speech, the president highlighted the need to strengthen precision medicine. To this end, he said Taiwan is staying aligned with global medical standards by building internationally recognized databases through genetic testing, precise diagnosis, and cross-ministerial collaboration.

Lai said that as Taiwan’s first president with a medical background, he deeply understands the enormous pressure cancer places on public health care and family finances. He reminded all cancer patients and their families that they are not alone and that the government is working alongside medical professionals and patient organizations to ensure a Healthy Taiwan.

According to statistics from the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), cancer is the world’s second leading cause of death, with approximately 10 million deaths annually. In Taiwan, cancer has ranked first among the top ten causes of death for 43 consecutive years.