News Update - Upcoming events in November

November is chock-full of hepatitis-related events. This special-edition news update shares links to important dates to add to your calendar. Unless stated, events are free to attend but registration is required.

In this update:

Report launch: 2020 Viral Hepatitis Mapping Project 

  • Organiser: WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis Epidemiology, The Doherty Institute and ASHM
  • Date: Thursday 4 November 2021
  • Time: 1:30-2:45pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time
  • Registration link

The awaited 2020 Viral Hepatitis Mapping Report is due to be launched this Thursday 4 November. The Viral Hepatitis Mapping Project aims to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C in Australia by assessing variation in prevalence and care uptake according to geographic region.  This digital event will be the National launch of the 2020 report and will provide attendees with an overview of the outcomes of the report, methodologies used, and implications of these reports for future progress towards hepatitis elimination.

Hepatitis Australia is delighted to support ASHM, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis, and The Doherty Institute to launch this important report. 

Last chance: Scholarships available for APSAD Scientific Drug and Alcohol Conference 2021

  • Organiser: The Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD)
  • Date: Sunday 7 to Wednesday 10 November 2021
  • Time: 1:30-2:45pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time
  • Registration link

Register by 11:59pm today!

Hepatitis Australia is proud to sponsor a series of scholarships to the #APSAD2021 conference being held next week. Scholarships are available to support First Nations Peoples, community workers, people with lived experience, peer workers, researchers, practitioners, program workers & policymakers with limited funds available, by providing full conference registration.
We encourage our members to take up this opportunity.

Satellite event: Hepatitis C in Drug and Alcohol Settings

  • Date: Saturday 6 November 2021
  • Time: 10am to 1pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time
  • Registration link

As part of the APSAD Satellite program, there will be a free training event on Saturday 6 November aimed at providing participants with the knowledge and confidence to increase the management of HCV in alcohol and other drug settings. This course aims to provide addiction physicians, general practitioners, nurse practitioners, and other practitioners working in drug and alcohol settings with the skills and knowledge to diagnose HCV, manage comorbidities and treat HCV.

Free and discounted tickets to International Workshop on HBV Cure 2021

  • Organiser: Virology Education
  • Date: Tuesday 9 to Wednesday 10 November 2021
  • Time: 1:00am to 4:30am Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time / 9:00am to 12:30pm EST
  • Contact: [email protected] to access free and discounted tickets

Hepatitis Australia has two complimentary tickets to provide to members who would like to attend this workshop. Further discounted tickets are also available for members. 

While the timing is difficult for Australian viewers, registration will provide access to the full recorded program.

Since 2014, the International Workshop on HBV Cure has been a scientific platform that acts as a catalyst to accelerate the progress for achieving a cure. The purpose of the workshop is to inform the participants about the developments in the possibilities to find a cure for hepatitis B. 

The field of hepatitis B treatment is undergoing major changes and is on the verge of a paradigm shift. The many new treatment options that are becoming available are providing great hopes for decreasing the burden of the disease, simplifying treatment, and potentially curing and eradicating hepatitis B infection.

Outstanding speakers from around the globe will share the newest therapeutic options for viral hepatitis, and experts will discuss the path forward to cure this deadly disease, leading to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Report launch: Telehealth for hepatitis C treatment

  • Organiser: Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARSCHS)
  • Date: Thursday 11 November 2021
  • Time: 1:30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time
  • Registration link

ARSCHS is hosting a launch event for this qualitative interview-based project, which aimed to understand the benefits, limitations, and effects of the use of telehealth for hepatitis C treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report synthesises the main findings of the project and makes recommendations to support the hepatitis C sector in optimising the use of telehealth where it is effective and valuable.

Hepatitis Australia CEO, Carrie Fowlie, will join a group of panellists to discuss the implications of the research findings and consider how the recommendations might inform sector development and the uptake of telehealth.

Workforce development: Showcasing the work of EC Australia partners

  • Organiser: EC Australia
  • Date: Thursday 11 November 2021
  • Time: 12:00-1:00pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time
  • Registration link

This is the first event in a webinar series featuring three sessions following on from the launch of Burnet and Kirby Institutes' third annual report on Australia’s progress towards Hepatitis C elimination in 2021.

This session, co-chaired by Associate Professor Joseph Doyle and Dr Jacqui Richmond will showcase projects from non-lockdown jurisdictions! Presentations include:

  • Kim Ziapur, The Western Australian Network of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies (WANADA), presenting on the final findings of their quality improvement project which sought to upskill health professionals in the alcohol and other drug (AOD) service sector to increase hepatitis C testing and treatment capability.
  • Anngie Everitt (Menzies Institute), presenting on their model of care project, which highlights the important partnership between nurses and peers to increase access to hepatitis C testing and treatment in Darwin.
  • Lucy Ralton (SA Health), presenting on the interim findings from the PrOMPT – a nurse-led outreach program that delivers point-of-care testing and linkage to treatment services in priority settings including a prison, inpatient AOD and inpatient mental health services.

Second National Hepatitis Elimination Forum 

  • Organiser: Hepatitis Australia
  • Date: Thursday 18 & Friday 19 November
  • Time: 12:00-3:00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time
  • Contact the CEO of your state or territory hepatitis organisation

Following great success last year, Hepatitis Australia is hosting its second National Hepatitis Elimination Forum. 

This year’s forum will focus on the national hepatitis strategies which will undergo review in 2022. The national hepatitis strategies are endorsed by all Health Ministers and sets Australia’s strategic framework. The next iteration of the strategies will run until 2030. The forum will showcase a series of short presentations to inspire attendees to think about and discuss:

  • What policy levers do we need in place to achieve elimination by 2030?
  • How will we ensure that no-one is left behind?

Day 1 will focus on hepatitis C and Day 2 will focus on hepatitis B. 


There will also be networking opportunities and the chance to connect with colleagues across the country. 

It’s Your Right: National hepatitis C treatment health promotion campaign

  • Organiser: EC Australia
  • Date: Thursday 18 November 2021
  • Time: 12:00-1:00pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time
  • Registration link

This second session in EC Australia’s webinar series will showcase their National Hepatitis C Treatment Health Promotion Campaign Strategy. The campaign seeks to reach people who currently inject drugs who are not accessing testing and treatment services and/or who may not be aware of DAA treatment. It aims to shift perceptions about treatment and support people to prioritise treatment.

The campaign was co-designed by a National Reference Group (NRG) and is using a peer led approach from development right through to delivery.

Co-chaired by Professor Margaret Hellard AM and Emily Adamson, presenters include:

  • Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) Peer Network representatives
  • Gerad Petherbridge, Enigma
  • Jake Docker, AIVL
  • Troy Combo, EC Australia/University of Queensland

Report Launch: Progress towards hepatitis C elimination among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia

  • Organiser: Kirby Institute
  • Date: Monday 22 November 2021
  • Time: 2:00-3:00pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time
  • Meeting link

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection disproportionately affects vulnerable and marginalised populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter referred to as Aboriginal) people, people who inject drugs (PWID) and people in custodial settings. Available evidence suggests that the prevalence of injection drug use is considerably higher among the Aboriginal (3-8%) than the non-Aboriginal (1%) population and has increased over recent years. There is a need to further characterise the HCV epidemic among Aboriginal Australians and track HCV elimination efforts, in terms of DAA treatment uptake, morbidity and mortality reductions, and HCV prevalence and incidence reductions.

This is the first report to provide a measure of progress of HCV elimination among Aboriginal people. Access to DAA therapy for hepatitis C has seen large numbers of people being treated and some declines in hepatitis C related liver failure and mortality. However, findings highlight gaps in treatment uptake and harm reduction coverage, including new hepatitis C infections, of particular concern among young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. Findings have national strategy and practice implications, particularly with pending update of the National Hepatitis C Strategy (last 2018-2022).  

Join for presentations and discussion from Hepatitis Australia CEO, Carrie Fowlie, alongside Prof Greg Dore (Kirby Institute), Stuart Manoj-Margison (Department of Health), and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NAACHO).

 

EC Australia: Progress towards hepatitis C elimination among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia

  • Organiser: EC Australia
  • Date: Wednesday 24 November 2021
  • Time: 12:00-1:45pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time
  • Registration link

Third in the EC Australia webinar series, this event features presentations from Prof Greg Dore (Kirby Institute), Phoebe Schroder (ASHM), Janet Stajic (IUIH), David Bromley (QuIHN), and Erin Flynn (SCALE C). The webinar will showcase efforts towards hepatitis C elimination in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Join chairs Troy Combo and Professor Margaret Hellard AM for this exciting line-up of presenters.

Living Experiences in Conversation

  • Organiser: Centre for Social Research in Health (CSRH), UNSW
  • Date: Thursday 25 November
  • Time: 1:00-2:00pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time
  • Registration Link

Stigma and its effects are an all too pervasive reality for people living with and affected by BBVs/STIs including HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. In this final Spotlight on Stigma seminar for 2021, three multi-talented community advocates – Michelle Tobin, Tony McNaughton and Nafisa Yussf – will join Annie Madden for a conversation on all things stigma and BBV/STIs from the perspective of living experiences.

Join for what will be a powerful and engaging seminar for anyone interested in ending stigma and its damaging effects for people and communities.

Published:

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Author: Grace Hogan

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