Welsh Government to eliminate hepatitis B and C by 2030
The Welsh Government, NHS Wales, and third-sector partners are collaborating to meet the World Health Organisation's targets.
The UK continues to maintain its status in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, thanks to universal antenatal screening and targeted action for positive cases.
Testing rates for both types of hepatitis have reached record levels, with notable improvements in prisons.
A free and confidential home testing service has been rolled out, allowing people to order a kit online, take a finger-prick blood sample, and receive results via text message.
So far, around 27,000 community testing kits have been distributed across 400 services in Wales.
An increase in case findings for both chronic hepatitis B and C has been reported.
However, treatment remains effective, and the most serious outcomes associated with these diseases, such as liver cancers, liver transplants, and deaths, remain low.
Vaccination coverage for children receiving the hexavalent vaccine, which includes protection against hepatitis B, has consistently remained above 90 per cent.
This exceeds the World Health Organisation target.
However, the Welsh Government acknowledges the need for further progress in several areas.
These include achieving consistently high hepatitis B vaccination rates of more than 95 per cent, improving data on vaccine uptake for at-risk populations, and enhancing needle and syringe provision to limit infection risk.
The government also aims to improve testing rates further, expand outreach services across Wales, and provide rapid access to treatment.
Addressing the stigma associated with hepatitis B and C is also deemed essential in efforts to eliminate them as public health problems.
There is continued funding for a range of roles, the health boards and Public Health Wales to continue this work.
Wales has also been named a Fast Track Nation.
He said this means key delivery partners in each of the seven health board areas have pledged to work collaboratively to reach the World Health Organisation's targets for HIV, hepatitis B, and C, and TB, and to tackle stigma.
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