Irish Haemophilia Society celebrates eradication of Hepatitis C among members

The Irish Haemophilia Society says the eradication of the Hepatitis C among its members is a huge milestone.

240 haemophilia patients were infected with Hepatitis C through contaminated blood products between the 1970s and 1991.

Around 123 of the surviving patients were offered treatment under the HSE's National Hepatitis C Treatment Programme this year.

The Department of Health reports that the programme has had a 90 percent success rate for those who have completed their treatment.

CEO of the Irish Haemophilia Society Brian O'Mahony, says today's news is a huge step forward for those affected: "We've been working for a number of years to get access to treatment for all of the others and we have finally reached a point where every person with haemophilia has been offered treatment or taken treatment for Hepatitis C.

"We are very pleased, this is a big milestone for the society, I think this was by far the biggest cause of death in the community for the last 20 or 30 years was infection with both Hepatitis C and HIV due to blood products."