Amid the suffering caused by Covid-19, we must remember that other health conditions have not gone away.

Ever since working with cancer charities when I secured changes to the law on accessing off-patent drugs when I was first elected, I have tried to keep in touch with them and help with their campaigns. I’ve lost close family members to cancer, including my mother Pam on New Year’s Day 2018, so campaigning for cancer patients is an issue close to my heart.

On World Cancer Day this month, it was a pleasure to meet online with Cancer Research UK, to hear from them about the impact of Covid-19 on cancer services and their research. Uniting to beat cancer has never been more important.

That’s why I’m pleased to be the Patron of the Friends of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board Breast Unit, which was set up in 2018 with the aim of raising money towards the new unit, which is due to open at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in late 2021. The group aims to raise funds for extra facilities and a special and welcoming environment for patients and their families. Volunteers who have had their lives affected by breast cancer deserve huge thanks for giving back to the cause in this way.

Support for mental health is also more important than ever. Thank you to Ben Jeffreys and Greg Thomas from Torfaen & Blaenau Gwent Mind for taking the time to speak with me this month about how the charity is providing mental health support locally.

Torfaen’s Senedd Member Lynne Neagle deserves huge credit for her determined campaigning for better mental health support, particularly for our children and young people.

Lynne wrote in the South Wales Argus recently about the Schools Mental Health Bill, which will help get better consideration for the mental health and wellbeing of our young people in Wales. There is still a way to go, but that progress wouldn’t have happened without the determined campaigning of Lynne alongside charities like Mind Cymru and Samaritans Cymru.

This winter hasn’t been easy, and we all miss the things we’ve had to sacrifice because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But I’m encouraged by the positive progress being made, with Covid rates down across Wales and the vaccination programme moving with remarkable speed.