Australia is a world leader in its efforts to eliminate hepatitis C and to improve the health of people who use drugs. But COVID-19, on a backdrop of economic uncertainty, anxiety and unemployment has the potential to disrupt our support, prevention and cure efforts – especially given the populations most impacted by hepatitis C and drug dependence are some of our most vulnerable Australians.
How is COVID-19 creating new environments and challenges? How do we adapt the delivery of services and policy to maximise people’s health, and continue to drive down hepatitis C in Australia? How do we best mobilise communities in our responses?
Facilitated by health reporter Dr Norman Swan, this event brings together affected communities, doctors, scientists, health and community workers, researchers and the public to discuss the immense challenges COVID-19 brings to hepatitis C elimination and the health of people who use drugs, and to discuss strategies to ensure Australia stays on track to become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C.
The webinar will be held on World Hepatitis Day, and is a collaboration between AIVL, Hepatitis Australia, APSAD, and UNSW Sydney’s premier research institutes the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre and the Kirby Institute.
#LetsTalkHep #WorldHepatitisDay
Speakers
- Jude Byrne, National Project Coordinator, Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League
- Sione Crawford, Chief Executive Officer, Harm Reduction Victoria
- Greg Dore, Head, Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
- Carrie Fowlie, Chief Executive Officer, Hepatitis Australia
- Jules Kim, Chief Executive Officer, Scarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Workers Association
- Andrew Lloyd, Head, Viral Immunology Systems Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
- Stuart Manoj-Margison, Director, BBV, STI and Torres Strait Health Policy Section, Australian Government Department of Health
- Amy Peacock, Senior Research Fellow, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
Header image: Photo by Kate Trifo on Unsplash