Bernard Allen
Ceist:306 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on a recent study which showed that hepatitis B is on the increase here. [11224/02]
Written Answers. - Hepatitis B Incidence.
It is not clear to which study the Deputy is referring. A study in relation to Hepatitis B was published in the British Medical Journal in November 2001. This study was a cross sectional survey looking at the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV and risk factors in entrants to Irish prisons. It concluded:
The use of injected drugs and infection with Hepatitis C virus are endemic in Irish prisons; a third of prison entrants are being committed to prison for the first time; only a small number of first time entrants are infected with one or more of the viruses; the findings confirm the need for increased infection control and harm reduction measures in Irish prisons.
A study published in December 2000 demonstrated a low prevalence of hepatitis B infection in the Republic of Ireland.
Information provided by the National Disease Surveillance Centre, NDSC, indicates that there has been an increase in the number of cases of Hepatitis B notified in Ireland over the last five years. Notifications in respect of each of the years 1997-2001 are as follows: 1997, 31; 1998, 155; 1999, 160; 2000, 187; 2001 346 provisional. The increase may reflect increased testing for hepatitis B and increased reporting of infection by clinicians due to increased awareness of the problems associated with hepatitis B. The increase may also reflect a real increase in the incidence and prevalence of infection.
There is evidence to indicate under-notification of hepatitis B. A system of enhanced surveillance of hepatitis B notified cases, to collect data on the risk factors associated with infections is planned. This data will be collated nationally and reported on by NDSC.
The report of the group to review the structure of prison health care services recommended that "the Prisons Service, Department of Health and Children and local health boards should ensure that proper structures and protocols are in place to ensure a consistent and equivalent approach to the issue of infectious diseases". A group on which my Department is represented has been set up to implement the recommendations of this report.