Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of hepatitis C among black and minority ethnic groups.

Public Health England has developed and shared materials with a range of stakeholders, including the voluntary sector, to help raise awareness of hepatitis C infection and highlight the need for those at risk to seek testing and treatment. The resources and materials available comprise of posters, a quiz, social media videos and social banners in a variety of different languages; all of these resources are available online to download or order by healthcare professionals as well as the public themselves.

A £2 million National Institute for Health Research programme grant evaluating different approaches to identifying black and ethnic people with chronic viral hepatitis is currently being completed by Professor Foster and his team at Queen Mary University of London. Data from this trial will be used to inform our decisions about the best way to improve engagement with these communities who are at above average risk from these infections.