It is a great achievement for Ireland that hepatitis C has virtually been eradicated in people who have haemophilia, according to Health Minister Simon Harris.

Plans to extend a breakthrough treatment for hepatitis C to eliminate the disease in Ireland over the next 10 years have been announced by the HSE.

In what has been described as a “transformative” breakthrough, a group of patients suffering from advanced liver disease as a result of hepatitis C have been cleared of the virus.