Health Minister Robin Swann has praised the work of a specialist team of nurses and doctors in their efforts to eliminate Hepatitis C in Northern Ireland.

To mark World Hepatitis Day, the Minister met staff from the Belfast Health Inclusion Service and the Royal Victoria Hospital Hepatology team. They run vital outreach services for those most at risk of contracting the blood-borne virus that can infect the liver and, if left untreated, cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage over many years, including liver cancer.

World Hepatitis Day is observed each year on 28 July to raise awareness of hepatitis. This year’s theme is “Hepatitis can’t wait”, conveying the urgency of efforts needed to eliminate the disease as a public health threat. Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Public Health Agency published a new action plan to eliminate Hepatitis C in Northern Ireland by 2025.

Minister Swann said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the devastating impact of infectious disease, but it has also demonstrated what can be achieved when we work together in innovative and collaborative ways across the Health and Social Care system and the wider community.

“I am very encouraged by the significant progress that has been made in efforts to eliminate Hepatitis C which affects some of the most vulnerable in our society, particularly within the homeless community and those with a history of injecting drug use.

“The hard work, dedication and commitment of the Belfast Health Inclusion Service and the RVH Hepatology team is making a real difference in the lives of people infected with or at risk of contracting Hepatitis C.”