Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:01 pm on 10 May 2022.
Thank you for that response. At least 8,000 people in Wales have a chronic hepatitis C infection, but we could eradicate hepatitis C entirely. That's the good news. But, although eradication is possible, and Wales in the past has taken major steps towards eradication by 2030, the reality is that we have now fallen back and we're not on the right tracks to hit that target and there are now targets that are far more ambitious in Scotland and in England. Now, the stance that the Welsh Government has taken on this unfortunately is that it is up to the health boards to develop their own programmes, but this is a national challenge and there are national interests at stake here. Will the First Minister therefore commit to establishing a national fund and a national strategy so that we can face up to this challenge with the full power of Government so that we can achieve this crucial public health goal?