To ask the Minister of Health whether a public awareness campaign is being considered to improve understanding of the early signs of pancreatic cancer.

While I would like to be in a position to commit to fund an advertising campaign on the symptoms of pancreatic cancer, the budgetary pressure imposed on my Department in recent years has required a pause on most health-related advertising spend. Consequently, there are no current plans to fund an advertising campaign on this topic.

The Department, the Public Health Agency and NI Direct will, however, continue to promote cancer awareness messaging through non-paid for channels, including social media platforms and media activity, directing the public to the website www.becancerawareni.info and appropriate pages on NI Direct for more information.

My Department’s Press Office will work with the communications teams in the PHA, NI Direct, Health and Social Care Trusts and other partners to develop a series of social media posts across all platforms to raise awareness of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer. This will include messaging in November, for example, to coincide with Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.