CF Ireland urges Govt to approve orkambi funding and improve services for sufferers

Ireland has the highest levels of Cystic Fibrosis in the world.

CF Ireland is urging the Government to deliver on approving the highly expensive orkambi drug to treat patients with the disease.

A conference will take place across the weekend that will discuss the management and treatment for patients.

CEO of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland Philip Watt says services in this country need to be improved.

Mr Watt said: "So we have 1,200 people with Cystic Fibrosis in Ireland and that's almost twice the incidence of every other European country and the United States.

"It's simply a matter of the fact that more people carry the Cystic Fibrosis gene in Ireland than anywhere else in the world, but our services are improving but unfortunately they are still not up to the standards that we would like."