Taipei Announces Free TB Screening for High-Risk Groups and Foreign Spouses

Boosting Public Health: Taipei's Initiative to Combat Tuberculosis

Taipei, Taiwan – The Taipei City government announced on Monday a crucial initiative offering free tuberculosis (TB) screening to individuals at high risk of developing the disease, including foreign spouses of Taiwan nationals. This program aligns with the World Health Organization's (WHO) goal to end the global TB epidemic by 2035.

According to the Taipei City Department of Health, the screening program is timely, as March 24th marks World Tuberculosis Day. TB, a disease transmitted through airborne particles, often remains dormant within the body as a latent infection.

The Department highlighted that approximately 5-10% of those with latent TB will eventually develop active TB disease, particularly when their immune systems are compromised. Certain high-risk groups are disproportionately affected, experiencing a significantly higher likelihood of contracting active TB. These groups include dialysis patients, individuals with HIV, diabetics aged 45 and above with HbA1c levels exceeding 9%, and those aged 60 and above with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The risk for these groups can be between 1.4 and 25 times greater than the general population.

Crucially, the Department emphasized that early screening and treatment for latent TB can reduce the risk of developing active TB disease by over 90%.

To facilitate this, the Department has collaborated with 27 hospitals across Taipei. In 2025, free TB screening will be available to those in the aforementioned high-risk categories. Notably, foreign spouses of Taiwan nationals are eligible for free screening, irrespective of their residency in Taipei, and are also entitled to a NT$300 (US$9.08) product voucher.

This initiative comes as Taiwan demonstrates progress in combating the disease. Statistics from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control reveal that in 2024, there were 6,222 new cases of tuberculosis, a significant reduction of about 63% from the 16,472 new cases recorded in 2005.