A world without viral hepatitis...
Chronic hepatitis B & C can cause serious
liver disease and liver cancer.
Networks
To build capacity for workers developing hepatitis C resources and hepatitis educators' Hepatitis Australia facilitates two networks:
- National Resource Network (NRN)
- Hepatitis Educators' Network (HEN)
National Resource Network
As part of building capacity for workers developing hepatitis C resources Hepatitis Australia facilitates the National Resource Network (NRN). The NRN communicates via email and teleconferences and meets face-to-face once a year. The purpose of the NRN is to:
- Facilitate collaboration and communication and provide a peer support network for resource officers within the hepatitis sector
- To share information on planning, developing, promoting, distributing and evaluating industry resources
- Reduce duplication of resources and ensure funding is used most effectively
- Facilitate best practice in resource development
- Facilitate adaptation of national resources to local use or local resources to national use
- To ensure effective distribution and sharing of Hepatitis Australia resources.
The National Resource Network currently has representatives from organisations involved in developing or informing national hepatitis C resources. The following organisations are currently represented on the NRN:
- Hepatitis Australia and State & Territory Hepatitis Councils
- Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM)
- Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL)
- Haemophilia Foundation of Australia (HFA)
- Multicultural HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C Service (MHAHS)
- Association for Prevention & Harm Reduction Programs (Anex)
- National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) (currently vacant)
Hepatitis Educators' Network
Members of the Hepatitis Educators' Network (HEN) are the community educators from each state and territory hepatitis organisation.
The HEN communicates via email, teleconferences, an online forum and meets face-to-face annually.
The aims of the network are:
- Provide opportunities for the promotion of projects being undertaken throughout the hepatitis community sector with a focus on successful education strategies and challenges for the future.
- Increase the networking opportunities to promote sharing of information and experiences to reduce the sense of isolation often experienced by community workers focused on viral hepatitis
