Written statement: World Hepatitis Day 2024 (26 July 2024)

As we mark World Hepatitis Day 2024 on Sunday (28 July), I want to provide an update on our efforts and progress towards eliminating Hepatitis B and C as a public health threat in Wales.

Hepatitis B and C are blood-borne viruses that can be transmitted from person to person and can cause serious liver damage and even liver failure in some people. Sadly, deaths from these viruses occur every year in Wales, however the numbers are decreasing and are now very low.

These viruses are difficult to treat because they usually do not cause symptoms until they have been in the body for years. By the time symptoms begin to appear, the liver is no longer functioning properly and much damage has already been done.

Hepatitis B is a common infection worldwide. It is usually transmitted from infected pregnant women to their babies, or between children, through unprotected sex and sharing drug needles. In the UK, countless people became infected as a result of the infected blood scandal.

Routine testing for Hepatitis B has been part of the antenatal testing programme since the early 2000s. In 2017, Hepatitis B vaccination became part of the routine childhood immunisation programme, with coverage in Wales now at 94.5%. These interventions have made Hepatitis B rare in children in Wales, but it remains a problem among unvaccinated adults.

Hepatitis C is also a common infection worldwide and, despite Wales being a country with a low prevalence rate, it is estimated that there are currently over 4,000 people in Wales who are infected with Hepatitis C but do not know it.

It is usually transmitted through contact with an infected person's blood, but in Wales it is most commonly transmitted through the sharing of needles used to inject drugs. Thousands of people have become infected as a result of the infected blood scandal, but it has also been linked to poor medical practice and unsafe medical injections outside the NHS.

Hepatitis C can be treated with highly effective antiviral drugs, but there is currently no vaccine.

We are my Written statement February 2023:

• All health boards and substance misuse local planning committees have developed detailed joint local elimination plans which set out a range of actions to be taken at local level.
• Every health board has appointed an executive officer and set up a local multi-agency steering group to oversee progress.
• Central government funding has been reserved for the key national co-ordination post until the end of the Senedd's term.
• we Free and confidential home inspection service.

As a result, we found the following:

• Testing rates increased again in 2023 and now exceed pre-pandemic levels.
• Notable successes in key settings, e.g. Berwyn Corrections Announces Prison Exclusion.
• The number of people starting treatment for Hepatitis C has reached an all-time high since the pandemic began.

Progress towards eradication is being closely monitored. Public Health Wales today published its annual report looking at trends in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of blood borne viruses in Wales.This includes an overview of progress against the World Health Organization's elimination indicators.

I want to thank all the efforts that have been made across Wales to make this progress possible. Over the coming year, services will need to focus on increasing testing levels across the range of services if we are to meet the World Health Organisation's 2030 elimination target.

Anyone who thinks they may be at risk is strongly encouraged to get tested so they can receive the treatment they need. Speak to your medical professional about getting tested or Free and confidential home inspection service Available in Wales.

I will continue to provide regular updates on our efforts to eliminate Hepatitis B and C as a public health threat in Wales.

This statement is being issued during the recess to provide information to Members, and if Members would like me to make a further statement or answer questions on this matter when the Senedd returns, I will be happy to do so.