Children under seven may now receive nine regular checkups

Children under seven may now receive nine regular checkups

2026-04-10

To help children in Taiwan grow up happy and healthy, as well as make things easier for parents, the Health Promotion Administration announced that starting from July, the number of checkups for children under the age of seven would be increased from seven to nine. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said consultations would be included, helping parents better understand their children’s health and growth.

This child said that her mother lets her watch TV for 30 minutes on Fridays. Do doctors support limited screen time?

Chang Hung-yang
MacKay Children’s Hospital
It’s advised to use electronics for one hour a day at most, so it’s great that she limits it to 30 minutes, and only once a week. Using electronics for extended periods can not only cause vision problems, but can also cause some issues with language development.

Conversations between doctors and parents about children’s health are part of preventative healthcare. The Health Promotion Administration recently announced that checkups for children up to the age of seven would be increased from seven to nine, including growth tracking, physical examinations, and developmental assessment.

Chuang Jen-hsiang
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare
Checkups will be increased to nine from the original seven. One checkup is added each for the infancy and preschool periods, targeting these two critical ages.

The new policy begins in July. Checkups and consultations are also being integrated into a bundled service, with doctors also giving advice the same day. The budget for these services has been increased by NT$450 million this year.

Shen Ching-fen
HPA Director-General
Children’s preventive healthcare is actually related to pediatric specialists, as they provide most of the services.

The new policy will help parents better understand their children’s growth and support a healthy Taiwan.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#healthcare #childrenshealth #children #checkup #HPA #publichealth #preventativehealthcare #wellbeing #MOHW

7月上路! 兒童預防保健"提升至9次" 衛福部:強化關鍵期健檢

2026-04-10

為了台灣的孩童，健康快樂的長大，並且減輕家長的育兒負擔，衛福部國健署宣布，今年7月開始，推動兒童預防保健服務7+2，未滿7歲兒童的預防保健服務，從7次提升為9次，打造完善檢查的制度，衛福部次長莊人祥強調，希望透過評估與衛教的整合，讓家長及時掌握，孩童的成長關鍵。

小朋友開心分享，快樂的看電視時光，媽媽還會計時30分鐘，這樣的生活習慣，醫生OK嗎?

[[馬偕兒童醫院新生兒科主任張弘洋]]
“建議是每天最多就使用一個小時，那她很棒她只使用30分鐘。而且一個禮拜還使用一次，3c產品的長期使用，不只是視力的問題，也有可能造成一些，語言發育的一些問題。”

像這樣一對一，與醫生討論孩子的各種問題，是兒童預防保健服務的一環，現在國健署將正式實施，兒童預防保健服務7+2，也就是把補助次數，從原本7次變為9次，內容包括生長評估、身體檢查、還有發展評估。

[[衛生福利部莊常務次長莊人祥]]
“從原來的7次提升到9次。主要針對兩個關鍵期，一個是嬰兒期，另外一個是學齡前，那這邊都會各增加一次。”

新制七月上路，一改過去，將健康檢查與衛教指導分開，這回採包裹式整合，一條龍搞定，今年整體預算新增4.5億。

[[國民健康署沈署長沈靜芬]]
“我們的兒童預防保健其實跟我們的幼兒專責醫師，其實是有相關性的，大部分都是給這些幼兒專責醫師去執行。”

希望讓家長即時掌握孩子成長的關鍵，也逐步實現健康台灣的政策願景。

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Security experts warn China is cultivating a fifth column for wartime sabotage

China’s growing ambitions to annex Taiwan means its tactics are also broadening. They’re no longer limited to military exercises. Security experts say China is cultivating a fifth column that involves recruiting people from temple associations, gangs and even rank-and-file soldiers. Once war breaks out, these people will no longer hide in the shadows. Instead, they will become saboteurs who will work to undermine Taiwanese society – from attacking power infrastructure to spreading rumors. Let’s find out more.

Xi Jinping
Chinese leader
The motherland must be unified and it will inevitably be unified. This is the historical conclusion drawn from the 70-year development of cross-strait relations and it is also an inevitable requirement for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in the new era.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ambitions to annex Taiwan are intensifying. His tactics range from military aircraft harassing Taiwan to military exercises surrounding the nation. He’s also actively cultivating a fifth column in Taiwan.

Shen Ming-shih
Institute for National Defense and Security Research
In fact, the CCP is not only just trying to win people over with united front tactics. Ultimately, it hopes that the military will not resist. Its internal agents are organized into armies or bands of guerillas. When military actions begin, they will attack major internal targets. There may also be a small group of people who, at the beginning of the attack, will infiltrate and sabotage, such as destroying power infrastructure or releasing toxins so that it affects the troops’ morale or health. Or they can spread rumors. Broadly speaking, these people can be called a fifth column.

From gangsters to temple associations to junior military officers: all are fifth column recruitment targets.

Ho Cheng-hui
Taiwan National Security Institute
They might even incite disgruntled people or criminals to do these things. Or they could tell you that our military has already collapsed or surrendered, conveying that it would be better to surrender than resist.

Even jewelry stores have assisted China to make contact with Taiwanese soldiers, prosecutors say, and have lured them with low-interest loans.

Wang Ting-yu
Lawmaker (DPP)
When you borrow money, NT$5,000, NT$10,000, and accumulate it to a certain amount, he will tell you: It’s OK if you can’t pay it back, we’re all friends. This NT$50,000 sum can be waived. Just get hold of any document from the military to prove you are a soldier. I will tell the financial backers behind me that soldiers are usually short of money, so we can write off your debt of NT$50,000. If you don’t do this, they’ll expose your previous actions and you might have to pay a heavy price. You’ll have no choice but to submit to their demands.

When it comes to the fifth column, the pro-China China Unification Promotion Party is probably the group that is treated with most suspicion in Taiwanese society.

Chang An-le
China Unification Promotion Party
We are not a fifth column. We have made it very clear that we will step forward when the time comes to act as a bridge for peace across the Taiwan Strait, focusing on protecting ordinary citizens. It’s that simple.

Faced with a fifth column colluding with foreign forces, Taiwan’s national security can only be ensured by heightening people’s vigilance and strengthening an anti-infiltration defense network.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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NTU works with robotics firm to make ‘smart’ lawn mower

AI-powered robots are the future of mechatronics. Seeking to bring these gadgets into people’s daily lives, NTU partnered with a robotics firm to develop a brand-new “smart” lawn mower. They’ve also announced a new patrol robot that will soon be used to bolster campus security.

A robot turns in a circle twice to calibrate and returns to its starting point before heading off again. From data stored in the cloud, this “smart” mower can get a sense of its surroundings before even setting off.

Engineer
Through the app, you can adjust the mowing direction. You can also choose either a checkerboard or diamond shape, and different angles.

The user can set the angle and amount of grass to leave, then leave the mower to cut the grass by itself using an intelligent navigation system. This smart mower is the brainchild of a collaboration between NTU and a private robotics firm.

Chan Kuei-yuan
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The mechanical engineering department has always had a class on smart vehicle design and application. We’re accustomed to collaborating with manufacturers. For instance, last semester, we discussed the possibility of automating worksites with a manufacturer of excavators.

In 40 minutes, this fully automatic mower can cut a 330-square-meter lawn into a tidy checkerboard pattern. It usually takes a landscaper about an hour to mow 330 to 500 square meters. In about the same amount of time, the robot can nearly double the output, going for three to four hours on a single charge. It also uses cameras and ultrasound to detect obstructions within 1m away, and will stop automatically if something gets in the way.

Stephen Chen
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The students can learn about the future of the robotics industry. Businesses can also learn in advance how to integrate these students. We’re expecting to incorporate the students’ ideas and roll out a patrol robot on campus by the end of the year.

Starting with the lawn mower, NTU will soon also see a smart patrol robot powered by AI detection, 360-degree cameras, and an emergency notification system to improve campus safety.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Pingtung farmers grow new jicama variety resembling pears

To combat climate change, the Jiuru Township Farmers’ Association in Pingtung County experimented with a new kind of jicama that’s three times the size of the standard variety. Weighing in at a whopping 2 kilograms each, they’re not only an appealing shape, but taste better, too. They’re a bit like pears, and can even be blended into a juice with honey for a refreshing thirst-quencher.

The skin on this enormous new type of jicama can be peeled off by hand. It’s three times as large as the standard variety and has a finer texture, resembling a pear.

- It’s like a pear.
- Does it seem like you’re eating a fruit?
- It really is like a pear. Just not as sweet.

Put some slices in a juicer with plenty of honey, blend it up, and you can get a refreshing juice for the summer.

Member of public
Since it has honey and the jicama itself isn’t that sweet, I think it’s pretty good.

Member of public
I suppose it’s all right. I’d say the jicama with the honey might need something else to blend the flavors together better.

Pingtung’s Jiuru Township is known for its melons and fruits, but extreme weather has made them harder to grow. The local farmers’ association therefore recruited three famers to try growing underground tubers instead. For the first trial, they chose jicama, known as the “underground pear.” After four months, the results have been promising.

Kung Tai-wen
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Each one weighs about two-and-a-half kilos. At a supermarket, they currently sell for NT$49 per 0.6 kilograms. This variety has already been around for two years. Aside from the Taipei agricultural corporation, we also sell at supermarkets. Prices have been relatively stable over the past two years.

As jicama can last for a year without spoiling, the association said it’s often used with other foods, such as oden and meatballs to add texture, or blanched to use in cold salads. It can also be used in soup or stewed with pork ribs, making it an extremely versatile crop. However, it’s important to keep in mind that only the tuber is edible. The stem, leaves, pods, and seeds are all poisonous and should never be eaten.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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This demonstrates the vibrancy of Taiwan’s innovation and R&D, and the strong foundation for our industry. Technological innovation is an extremely important force that drives our industry forward. It’s also an important foundation that supports our country’s continued progress.

Innovation from 12 institutions and companies including ITRI, TSMC, and Hon Hai have helped Taiwan shine on the world stage once again, ranking it at No. 3 in the Top 100 Global Innovators Report for five years in a row, only behind Japan and the US.

Representatives came together at the awards ceremony, where they were recognized for their contributions.

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ITRI has been honored for the 10th time, ranking first among R&D institutions in the Asia-Pacific region. The institute focuses on integrated interdisciplinary innovation and has brought together the knowledge of 14 high-tech firms in the form of a license on transfer industry alliance, and keep patent trolls at bay. In addition, this year, ITRI has been a key supporter of the drone industry, taking advantage of the benefits of non-red supply chains to swiftly break into the US market.

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The strength of ITRI, we really see, is its ability to turn publicly funded research into commercially ready real-world technologies that can be used in the economy. One of the things that we track at Clarivate is the increasing difficulty of modern research and development and the need for interdisciplinarity, and ITRI really represents that as a capability for the Taiwanese economy.

By safeguarding the value of intangible assets ITRI hopes to let Taiwan’s industrial chains continue to benefit from the power of innovation and attract worldwide attention.

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Xi Jinping
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That the Taiwan Strait will no longer be a focal point of potential conflict, nor become a chessboard for outside forces to intervene in. On the shared political foundation of adhering to the “1992 Consensus” and opposing Taiwan independence, we will make peaceful development across the strait irreversible, with harmonious coexistence at the core.

Rosalia Wu
Lawmaker (DPP)
This meeting between Xi and Cheng is nothing but a pre-written script. It’s a political show, an attempt by Beijing to use Cheng Li-wun’s voice to shape international perception into believing that Beijing can influence Taiwan’s political direction. The international community has also interpreted Cheng Li-wen’s cooperation as support for this false peace, which is in reality more of a surrender. This narrative supports Xi Jinping’s anti-independence, pro-unification line, and it’s sending a very misleading message to the world.

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One, the ROC and the PRC are not subordinate to the other. Two, Taiwan’s future must be decided by its people through democratic means. Three, China must immediately stop its harassment with military aircraft and vessels near Taiwan. These three points should’ve been clearly conveyed to Xi Jinping.

During her trip in China these past few days, Cheng has constantly made reference to the so-called “1992 Consensus.” But she conveniently did not mention a key part of the supposed cross-strait consensus, which is that each side of the strait agrees that there is one China, while leaving the definition of China up to different interpretations. Critics say that has made the consensus essentially an endorsement of Beijing’s “One China” framework. Cheng has repeatedly attempted to frame her visit as paving the way for peace, but critics say the only direction she is pushing for is toward China’s unification ambitions.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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