Chris Lemoh: At the start of the emergency everything was made secondary to COVID-19. The thinking was that the system would be overwhelmed, so we needed to reconfigure everything to make space for COVID patients: so the whole system was reoriented around that; people were discouraged from coming into both hospitals and GPs clinics, and elective surgery was delayed. All of this happened in a climate of high-level fear among both the community and the health workforce. As a result, all of the chronic conditions were put to the back of people’s minds, which is really problematic. Some of those chronic conditions are the same ones which will make people sicker if they get SARS-CoV2 infection, especially if they are poorly managed - and the changes have meant that many of those diseases are less well-managed. For example, with HIV: there is no evidence that people with HIV experience a worse COVID-19 illness, but HIV can accelerate vascular diseases, and this is a key risk in COVID-19 - so people with HIV whose heart disease isn’t managed are at much greater risk of severe COVID-19 complications.
With the easing of restrictions and a rise in infections in Melbourne, what is different?
Well the big difference is that system capacity has changed. The initial activity and reconfiguring was all about building capacity, expanding ward and ICU capacity, and workforce training - and now these are all there and ready to go. There were actually lots of things that were on the boil - for example Casey Hospital had new medical ward opened up, as well as an ICU - but COVID escalated the pace of these changes. From the start of the emergency there has always been a recognition that chronic diseases will not go away, but COVID needed to be prioritised. Now that we have enhanced capacity, we need to go back to managing chronic disease. I think we should be able to manage, even with the second wave: there is capacity to put more focus back on chronic disease.
What about telehealth?
I’ve noticed that lots of things are being hitched to COVID: things good and bad that have been in the works for a while, but have been pushed through quickly in some way because of COVID. Telehealth is one of those. It’s been really interesting: initially telehealth was pushed as a way of keeping patients away from hospital, but it really has been something people have wanted for ages. Telehealth has been good: we now have the hardware, we suddenly have apps that support telehealth, and Medicare item numbers for billing.
All the barriers we thought were there just disappeared!
Yes, as always, it’s not a matter of what we can and can’t do, it’s a matter of what we want to do, and where we decide to allocate money.
It has been a good additional option to have. It’s been better in some instances and worse in others. Telehealth is good when you have someone with a defined issue, and there is a clear and modest objective for the consultation, and the audio visual and communications stuff is not too complicated. There are clear benefits for clinicians: less time with patient walk in/ walk out, and often these consults take a bit less time. It’s great for patients too, as it saves so much time and money: for travel, waiting, parking and of course parking fines from waiting when doctors are running late!
The problem arises when physical examination is required, and physical examination is important for at least part of the assessment of many health issues. When first assessing someone for hepatitis, if you don’t examine physically you miss a lot of information.
Another big issue is that without face-to-face, many of the opportunities to build rapport and trust are missed. There are so many important non-verbal parts of communication. Patients assess clinicians for non-verbal clues that the provider is safe, trustworthy, listening; we as clinicians are assessing our patients’ understanding of their condition and how much they want to and are able to prioritise it.
What happens when you add another language into the mix?
Well face-to-face becomes even more important. Another thing that has happened in the COVID era is that face-to-face interpreting is no longer occurring: interpreters are now all working by phone. This is much better for them: they don’t have to waste time travelling and in waiting rooms, so their capacity has increased; but over the phone I miss those non-verbal cues, and they are so important, as they help me judge the quality of the interpreting. Not all interpreters are good at technical or medical language, so I get my cues from watching things like how quickly they translate, how many questions the patient asks and how much back-and-forth happens. I’m also watching for how much ease there is, and how confident the patient and the interpreter are with each other. Communities are small, and people often know each other - and there are always issues like class, gender age to consider. All of these are harder to assess over the phone.
The main thing with phone interpreters and telehealth is to keep the objectives of the consultation much more modest. What do they say - “Frustration is the gap between expectation and experience!”
Of course, there is the sheer time involved. Face-to-face consults take double the time with an interpreter in the room. Shift that consultation to telehealth and overlay various problems with sound quality and tech issues and it all takes longer.
What have been the key issues for migrant and multicultural communities over the last few months?
Early on there were discussions about how people who didn’t speak English were left out of the health information that was being produced by governments and health services. Not just the sophisticated language, it was also the assumptions about people’s lives, about who constitutes a family, about what people’s work lives were likely to be. It was all very “Ramsay Street”. But this was pointed out and the Victorian government worked very hard with organisations like ECCV, CEH and VMC to produce good information to fill this gap. This was done reasonably early on - unfortunately it was not quite early enough. Then of course throw in the awful policy changes with regard to temporary visa holders and asylum seekers, which had a huge impact on the way communities connected with the system.
There was an information gap for people who couldn’t access Australian information in their preferred language, so of course people filled the gap with whatever information they could get. The Australian Chinese community was well ahead because they had very detailed information from China, but this was of course coloured by the China experience. People seeking information in languages like Arabic, Amharic or Somali, were getting it from other countries, so the information was not locally applicable, and the political and system dimensions were slated to overseas situations. Also of course there were lots of political agendas, spin, fake news and conspiracy theories emerging on social media in English and every other language, but there was not enough quality information in community languages to counter it - so misinformation really promulgated in these language gaps, particularly stuff about how COVID wasn’t really very dangerous or problematic. There wasn’t any systemic approach to addressing this misinformation, so it was left to bilingual health professionals spending time translating and writing arguments against this stuff in their own time.
Thanks so much Chris. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I really hope that people realise that how fundamental social inequity is to health. This is yet another lesson that the people who are pushed to the margins do badly in a health crisis. This is no accident. Our society is built on discrimination, exploitation and subjugation. We get taught the same lesson every time, and until we address these fundamental injustices, it will continue.
But it has been really interesting over the last three months to watch the way the health communications turned from broadcast style, ‘follow the party line’ approach, to much more of a dialogue. Actually, a “multilogue”: a many-sided changing conversation in which health authorities participate rather than direct. It has forced health authorities to really to maintain engagement, listen and talk back. They seem to be gaining an understanding that they need to really pay attention, or there won’t be any improvement.
The Impact of COVID-19 on PLHIV Survey - Report
In April 2020, at the height of COVID-19 in Australia NAPWHA sought to connect directly with People Living with HIV to gather information on the impact of COVID-19. 147 people living with HIV responded to the survey. This provided valuable information on location, age, gender identity, number of co-morbid conditions, experiences with virtual telehealth, views on COVID-19, and respondent’s most pressing needs. The report is now available.
Joint statement: Easing of Restrictions, Physical Distancing and Casual Sex
ACON, The Kirby Institute and ASHM have released a joint statement about casual sex. Key points:
- The best way to prevent COVID-19 transmission is to avoid casual sex with people you are not living with or who are not your regular sexual partner.
- If you do decide to continue to have casual sex, take precautions to stay as safe as possible by reducing the number of people you have sex and assist with contract tracing by ensuring you have the contact information of your partners.
- Remember to access regular sexual health testing and always practice safe sex by always using condoms, PrEP, UVL (undetectable viral load), PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) or a combination.
Read the statement in full.
Statement of the obvious: rising infections in Victoria remind us that things can change very rapidly!
New York City Health Department Releases Updated Safer Sex and COVID-19 Guidelines
“During this extended public health emergency, people will and should have sex,” the department says in its guidance. “Consider using harm reduction strategies to reduce the risk to yourself, your partners, and our community.” More here
Interim guidance for the delivery of medication assisted treatment of opioid dependence in response to COVID-19: a national response
This document aims to provide guidance to clinicians in how to adapt treatment (as outlined in the National Guidelines for Medication Assisted Treatment of Opioid Dependence) during this major transition. It should be read alongside state and territory guidance issued in response to COVID-19, recognising that many jurisdictions are at different stages of response, and also that many of the communications from government authorities relate to regulatory or guideline changes, rather than focusing on aspects of clinical care.
ASHM COVID TASKFORCE - Update on registered COVID-19 studies in Australia and New Zealand
This week the Taskforce’s Research Studies in Australasia and Overseas Cluster Group and the Taskforce Chair have provided an update on registered COVID-19 studies in Australia and New Zealand. This includes recently published data available that addresses the safety and efficacy of Remdesivir® and Hydroxychloroquine for treatment of COVID-19 illness.
This document will be updated to include new information, so if you’re involved in a study on COVID-19 and would like to have it included, please email the details to taskforce@ashm.org.au.
Read the full summary here.
Key findings from the ‘Australians’ Drug Use: Adapting to Pandemic Threats’ (ADAPT) Study
The Australians' Drug Use: Adapting to Pandemic Threats (ADAPT) Study is exploring the short and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experiences of Australians who use illicit drugs. Findings will be used to ensure drug-related issues during COVID-19 are better understood and more accurately represented, so as to better inform drug treatment and harm reduction in Australia. The first bulletin, based on the responses of 702 participants, is now available here.
Gay men rise up during COVID-19 – and that is to be commended
Findings from The Kirby Institute’s Following Lives Undergoing Change (Flux) Study, which is looking at the impact of COVID-19 on HIV and other STIs in the gay community, reveal that gay men, by and large, have exercised responsibility and modified their sexual behaviours in response to the pandemic. Read more
NAPHHA Treatment Officers Network meetings held online during COVID-19 restrictions
Video recordings of recent NAPWHA Treatment Officers Network meetings are now available on the NAPWHA website.
Survey 2: Sexual and reproductive health during COVID-19
The sexual health unit at University of Melbourne is conducting an online about the impact of Covid 19 on the sexual and reproductive health of people aged 18 or over and living in Australia. The second survey in this project is now live and ready for completion.
The link to the survey is: http://go.unimelb.edu.au/e4aj - please share widely!
People aged 18+ and currently living in Australia are eligible to participate. People can complete survey 2 even if they didn’t complete survey 1.
Very weak evidence base for antiretrovirals for treatment and prevention of COVID-19, say senior HIV doctors
Walk-in STI services may be a thing of the past as UK clinics continue to adjust to COVID-19
Achieve Research Continuity During Social Distancing by Rapidly Implementing Individual and Group Videoconferencing with Participants: Key Considerations, Best Practices, and Protocols and this one too Research with Marginalized Communities: Challenges to Continuity During the COVID-19 Pandemic
How Do We Balance Tensions Between COVID-19 Public Health Responses and Stigma Mitigation? Learning from HIV Research
Hepatitis Victoria: World Hepatitis Day – one of only 9 public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organisation – is on 28th of July. It celebrates the birthdate of Nobel Laureate Baruch Samuel Blumberg, discoverer of the hepatitis B virus through research into the Australia antigen.
It is the main date in the global campaign to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030 – with only 10 years to achieve this goal. Yet we know it can be done. The amazing worldwide effort being harnessed to eliminate COVID-19 (coronavirus) shows what can be achieved if we work together.
Given the context of COVID-19, this year we build on the lesson that together, using knowledge and action – we can create change. Our theme is “Hepatitis – a virus we can eliminate”
Help achieve elimination using our collateral and merchandise
Your organisation, as a valued partner, is invited to join us in raising community awareness of the need to increase rates of testing, treatment and prevention of both viral hepatitis and liver health.
This year things will be a bit different due to physical distancing requirements. Instead we have created both collateral and merchandise for you to use in whatever way suits your circumstance.
See the collateral here. You can print these out, share them digitally. How about posting a selfie with the campaign backdrop – you can even insert your name?
And then there is the merchandise. We have water bottles, stickers and hand sanitiser branded “Hepatitis – a virus we can eliminate” available to order online.
Hepatitis Australia – Lets Talk Hep
‘Let’s Talk Hep’ is the theme for the 2020 Australian World Hepatitis Day campaign.
We hope you will join us in this important conversation and help promote World Hepatitis Day for 2020. Visit the World Hepatitis Day website today.
#LetsTalkHep seeks to engage the public and promote much needed dialogue about hepatitis. It is highly flexible and can be used to link in community activities (forums, info sessions etc), webinars or advocacy and seeking meetings with policy makers. It can also be used to support people to tell their personal stories or be linked to messages about stigma and discrimination. A series of posters is also available to download.
The Australian World Hepatitis Day website is the hub with relevant information and a series of downloadable posters and social media memes. If you would like to subscribe to World Hepatitis Day updates you can do so here.
Stigma Indicators Monitoring Project Summary Phase 2
The second phase of the Stigma Indicators Monitoring Project aimed to repeat Stigma Indicator data collection among priority groups and to improve sampling and data collection procedures. In Phase Two, data were also collected from the general public, and data regarding the experience and expression of stigma towards sexually transmissible infections (STIs) were collected for the first time. In addition, the health care worker survey was expanded to include health care and medical students. Read the summary report
Also in case you missed it, Hepatitis B-related stigma among Chinese Australians living in Sydney
2020 Melbourne Gay Community Periodic Survey
The report on the 2020 Melbourne Gay Community Periodic Survey has now been published on the CSRH website. The Melbourne Gay Community Periodic Survey is a cross-sectional survey of gay and homosexually active men recruited from a range of gay venues and events in Melbourne and online throughout Victoria. The major aim of the survey is to provide data on sexual, drug use and testing practices related to the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmissible infections (STIs) among gay men. The most recent survey was conducted in January 2020 to coincide with the Midsumma Carnival. In total, 2,972 men participated in the 2020 survey. Download the 2020 Melbourne report here. You can also find all recent GCPS reports here.
Expansion of Victorian Trans and Gender Diverse Community Health Services
The Victorian Government has funded an initiative to increase health services across Victoria for trans, gender diverse and non-binary people aged 18 and over. Your Community Health is the lead agency of this project, in partnership with Ballarat Community Health, Austin Health and Thorne Harbour Health.
This project uses Peer Navigators, people with lived experience of trans and gender diversity, to support people to create pathways to affirm their gender and access health services. This include the establishment of new multi-disciplinary clinics, in Preston and Ballarat with specialist support from Austin Health. Read more
Review to make recommendations for the decriminalisation of sex work
Fiona Patten MP, is leading this targeted review aimed at achieving better public health and human rights outcomes.
The Government is conducting a targeted review to consider the decriminalisation of sex work in Victoria in order to achieve better public health and human rights outcomes.
Read all about it
Victoria’s first LGBTIQ strategy
The Victorian Government is developing Victoria’s first LGBTIQ strategy, and is seeking your input.
This is your opportunity to inform the Victorian Government about what is important for LGBTIQ people and communities in Victoria, now and in the future.
This strategy will be informed by a broad and inclusive public and stakeholder consultation process and will set the direction of Victoria’s equality agenda for years to come.
From now until 3 August 2020, the Victorian Government is inviting you to have your say by responding to an online survey or making a written submission.
To do this, and for more information, you can visit:
www.engage.vic.gov.au/LGBTIQstrategy
Graduate Certificate in Sex, Health and Society: Semester 2, 2020 Applications Open
The first intake for the course is now open, with enrolments closing in July.
Drawing on the latest research on sex, sexuality and health, students in the course will develop multi-disciplinary knowledge on human sexuality and its role in health and society. They will also discover how to create innovative programs and influence policies to improve the wellbeing of all communities.
The course runs part-time over one year and comprises four subjects:
- Research in Sex, Sexuality and Sexual Health
- Principles of Human Sexuality
- Sex, Sexuality & Sexual Health: Communication, Policy and Practice
- Sexual Bodies, Identities and Marginalisation
Find out more here
Webinar recordings – ASHM Taskforce
Bridging the Gap Forum Insights and Video Now Available
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hepatitis Queensland facilitated a virtual forum to hear how various health organisations rapidly innovated their service models to keep clients and staff safe, while keeping long term health outcomes in mind.
Hosted in partnership with Cairns Sexual Health, the 60-minute forum provided an insight into the crisis leadership and resilience demonstrated across service providers.
Read the one-page Bridging the Gap Forum insights and learning document here
Our Speakers included:
- Raquel How, Nurse Practitioner, Prison Health Services, West Moreton Hospital and Health Service
- Amanda Kvassay, Project Officer, Queensland Injectors Health Network (QuIHN)
- James O’Beirne – Professor of Hepatology, University of the Sunshine Coast, Consultant Hepatologist, Sunshine Coast University Hospital
- Sami Stewart, Viral Hepatitis Program Manager, Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM)
- Richard Mills, Senior GP – Clinical Improvement, Institute for Urban Indigenous Health
- Rhondda Lewis, Health Promotion, Cairns Sexual Health Service
- Dr Darren Russell, Director of Sexual Health, Cairns Sexual Health Service
- Nicole McLaughlin, Clinical Nurse, Blood Borne Virus & Sexual Health Service, Rural & District Wide Services, Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service
'Bloody Serious Facts ONLINE' 8th July
'Bloody Serious Facts ONLINE' 1hour zoom session is the essential new 'little sister' of the popular 2.5 hour face to face workshops (due back in September hopefully!).
These new FREE online summary sessions are run in partnership between St Vincent’s Hospital and Harm Reduction Victoria- Victoria's state drug user organisation.
Bloody Serious Facts is an interactive online workshop that was developed and is run by healthcare professionals and people with lived experience of injecting drug use and Hep C.
This training is suitable for AOD workers, nurses, NSP workers, community health or anyone else who works with people who are at risk of or affected by Hepatitis C.
All are welcome. Nurses – earn 1.0 CPD points
The 1 hour session will aim to cover:
- Hep C Basics: Testing, Transmission, Diagnoses and Treatment-Everything you wanted to know about this amazingly resilient but treatable virus.
- The Impact & Meaning of Being Hep C + : An insight into the stigma and discrimination of living with Hep C and the treatment journey by a person with lived experience.
- A Practical Exercise : The not so obvious risks of transmission during the mixing up and injecting process.
8th July, 11.00 am to 12.00pm. Register through Eventbrite to receive your Zoom link.
HEPReady® Essentials Webinar 9 July, 9.30 – 11.30 am
Register now to attend this webinar covering both the clinical aspects of viral hepatitis & liver health (including new treatments), stigma and discrimination, a lived experience speaker, and how to conduct a sensitive conversation with clients.
Participants will also receive access to additional learning materials and resources through Hepatitis Victoria/LiverWELL’s online learning portal.
The session costs $60 and all attendees will receive a certificate of completion, endorsed by the Australian Primary Healthcare Nurses Association (APNA).
STI and BBV Nursing: An Introduction: 14 and 21 July
Nurses and midwives have invaluable communication skills and are well placed to identify priority populations for screening. Through a case study, presentations, group discussion and online learning these two workshops will provide attendees with the introductory skills to incorporate STI and BBV screening within their workplace
Online Workshop 1: 14 July 2020 6:30pm - 8:00pm (AEST)
Online Workshop 2: 21 July 2020 6:30pm - 8:00pm (AEST)
• Describe the clinical presentation of common STIs and BBVs
• Identify the priority populations for STI and BBV screening
• Explain the importance of testing and screening for STIs and BBVs
• Demonstrate confidence in offering STI and BBV screening to patients
• Discuss the process for contact tracing and Identify resources to assist
Info and registration
ARCSHS Seminar Series: LGBTIQ communities doin’ it for ourselves – COVID-19 as a case in point – 15th July
COVID-19’s impacts are far reaching and many in queer communities are doing it tough. Australia’s AIDS Councils moved rapidly to respond to COVID-19 providing community education, guidance and support as the crisis unfolded. They did so while sustaining essential programs such as counselling and needle and syringe access and as the organisations themselves underwent unprecedented upheaval.
As the immediate crisis eases, looking to the horizon is essential: the world has changed and will be increasingly different as COVID-19 affects all aspects of economic and social life. It is changing our lives, jobs, organisations and communities, and the possibilities for each, and it will continue to do so.
This session, presented by Darryl O’Donnell, will explore the response to COVID-19 by AFAO and its AIDS Council members, each of them established by gay communities and thriving today as LGBTI community-controlled organisations responding to an ever-widening range of issues. What characterises this peculiarly community response to COVID-19 and how does it differ from mainstream responses? Why did it occur? What lessons might we draw from it? And for a strong, queer-centred health and wellbeing agenda, what must we do next?
Wednesday 15 July 2020 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Details and registration here.
Spotlight on hepatitis B | 2020 – from 16 Jul 2020 to 6 Aug 2020
The Spotlight on hepatitis B is an annual workforce development initiative coordinated by the Victorian Hepatitis B Alliance (VHBA).
Each year the Spotlight aims to improve the treatment, management and care of people living with chronic hepatitis B.
World Hepatitis Day is on the 28th July, with the theme: Finding the Missing Millions. This year we will be delivering a series of four webinars, so please SAVE the dates. All speakers to be confirmed shortly.
Session #1 - Hepatitis B basics: Who is affected, how to prevent it and priority communities
Date: Thursday 16th July, 12 - 1pm
Presenters:
Jennifer MacLachlan | Epidemiologist, WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis, Doherty Institute
Gabrielle Bennet | Clinical Nurse Consultant, Victorian Viral Hepatitis Educator, St Vincent's Hospital
Session #2 - Clinical care: Chronic hepatitis B testing and management
Date: Tuesday 21st July, 12 – 1pm
Presenters:
Dr Nicole Allard | GP, cohealth, Medical Epidemiologist, Doherty Institute
Session #3 - Structural challenges influencing hepatitis B care
Date: Tuesday 28th July, 12 – 1pm
Session #4 - Panel discussion - Finding the missing millions: Improving hepatitis B care
Date: Thursday 6th August, 12 – 1pm
These webinars will be held on Zoom. They will be recorded and be made publicly available.
Attendees will be provided with a certificate of attendance.
Who should attend?
These webinars are tailored to the education and training needs of:
- People working with communities affected by hepatitis B
- Health workers, midwives, community workers, clinicians
- Policy makers and researchers
People living with hepatitis B and not working in these settings are warmly encouraged to attend.
All details and registration here
Announcing 2020 Joint Australasian HIV&AIDS and Sexual Health Conferences: VIRTUAL
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS NOW OPEN (take 2)
Monday 16 – Friday 20 November 2020
It’s undeniable that COVID-19 has impacted all our lives professionally and personally, and demanded we adapt to a new working environment.
What hasn’t changed is our desire to ensure the conferences remain a forum for further education, research and connection within the sector. ASHM is committed to ensuring HIV and sexual health education continues in 2020 and beyond.
What this means for you
• A NEW tailor-made format, enabled by our high-quality virtual conference platform, will allow you to set your own pace.
• The conferences, as always, will offer state of the art research and case studies to inform our practice.
• Registration will give you access to live online sessions as well as written and recorded content from the conference
• They will be one of the first opportunities to debrief on COVID-19 and discuss its impact on your work with your colleagues.
New abstract submission info here, due 16th August. Registration rates have been published here
Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations are taking a leading role in COVID‐19 health communication
Sex workers
After intensive and sustained lobbying and advocacy by peer led oraganisation, the Australian Government’s 3-step plan now allows sex workers and the sex industry to be included in the Stage 3 re-opening measures. Read this announcement on the Scarlet Alliance FB page.
LGBTIQ communities
Engagement of trans and gender diverse people with the health care sector during COVID-19
Teddy Cook from ACON has written a piece on the engagement of trans and gender diverse people with the health care sector during COVID-19. Teddy writes, “We have found ourselves in one of the most grave, astonishing and life-changing moments in human history. We are in the midst of an encounter with a collective mortal emergency that has completely focused our attention, and will do so for a long time to come. We have never been more ready to tackle a global pandemic but we also know that it is populations that are most vulnerable and most marginalised who fair worse in the social determinants that lead to poorer health outcomes.” Read more...
Flux Study now recruiting
Social distancing restrictions due to COVID-19 may affect how gay and bisexual men are arranging their sex lives and taking care of their health. And this will likely also affect trends in HIV infection and STIs over coming months, or even years. Monitoring the impact of COVID-19, before, during, and after the pandemic, is essential to understanding and responding to trends in HIV infection, mental health, and STIs.
Flux is investigating the lived experiences of COVID-19 among gay and bisexual men including isolation, support, mental health and resilience, income loss, and access to health services. We will address how gay and bisexual men experience, engage with, and emerge from, COVID-19.
Go to http://flux.org.au to join the study.
A quarter of gay men report casual sex during UK lockdown
Characterizing the Impact of COVID-19 on Men Who Have Sex with Men Across the United States in April, 2020
People living with HIV
ARV relief fund provides assistance for people living with HIV still paying full price co-payments for HIV medications
For people living with HIV whose income has dropped during the COVID-19 crisis, and who are still paying full price co-payments for HIV medications—NAPWHA can assist with a one-off payment to cover a four-months’ supply. Read more
COVID-19, Telemedicine, and Patient Empowerment in HIV Care and Research
Is telemedicine for HIV here to stay?
A Case Series of Five People Living with HIV Hospitalized with COVID-19 in Chicago, Illinois
People living with viral hepatitis
Updated guidance from the ASHM COVID-19 Taskforce
Covid-19 and adults living with hepatitis C, or the complications of previous hepatitis C virus (hcv) infection updated 17 June 2020
Liver health care during lockdown – Tell us how COVID-19 is affecting you
Hepatitis Victoria/LiverWELL has launched a survey to understand the impact of the pandemic on access to testing and treatment, and management of viral hepatitis and liver health generally during this time.
Complete the short, five minute survey to provide important insights into actual experiences, as well as feedback about how services could be improved in disrupted times. Anyone with liver health concerns they are managing, or who support someone in this situation, is encouraged to participate. Health care providers are also urged to encourage their patients to participate in the survey.
People who inject
Impact of COVID-19 on people who inject drugs in Melbourne: first/preliminary analyses
The Australian response to COVID-19 is unprecedented in modern times. Changes to border controls, regulations around physical distancing and prohibitions on public gatherings are anticipated to have profound impacts on drug markets and people who use drugs.1 Since 2008 the Burnet Institute has conducted the Melbourne Injecting Drug User Cohort Study (MIX) and its extension, SuperMIX, which involves annual interviews with a sample of around 1,300 people who inject drugs. This study provides a unique opportunity to compare information from participants collected before, during and after the COVID-19 restrictions to examine their impacts on people who use/inject drugs. We have also modified the SuperMIX questionnaire to collect additional information specific to COVID-19 restrictions. Read the preliminary report
Migrant and multicultural communities
Do you need translated information about COVID-19? including in audio or video format?
Health Translations brings together translated resources produced by government & community agencies Australia-wide, from posters, flyers, video & audio files.
Looking for a specific language? Click here
Do you want to see ALL the COVID-19 resources? Click here
Do you want to see VIDEOS only? Click here
Please share as widely as possible throughout your networks to help Victoria’s multicultural communities & service providers stay safe & informed.
COVID-19, HIV, and Migrant Workers: The Double Burden of the Two Viruses
Hepatitis Victoria: Seeking to appoint new board directors
The Hepatitis Victoria/LiverWELL Board is currently seeking to appoint new dynamic Board Directors. Candidates should be committed to the organisation’s vision, purpose, values, and directions and share our passion to see Hepatitis Victoria/LiverWELL grow and continue to lead the way to better liver health for Victorians, free from hepatitis and stigma.
The Directors will each be one of up to 12 Board members who provide corporate governance to LiverWELL on behalf of its members and the broader community.
The LiverWELL Board will have a minimum of three, but up to five vacancies at October 2020. LiverWELL has transitioned to a skills-based Board and identified the need to seek Directors with one or more of the following:
- Financial management and accounting;
- Legal;
- Fundraising/stakeholder engagement / partnerships;
- Senior Executive management;
- Information and Communications technology oversight;
- Corporate Governance;
- Lived experience of viral hepatitis or other liver health issues; and
- Culturally and Linguistically diverse communities.
More detailed statement and position description available here.
Association between viral hepatitis infection and Parkinson’s disease: A population‐based prospective study
Confronting Another Pandemic: Lessons from HIV can Inform Our COVID-19 Response
Responding to Pandemics: What We’ve Learned from HIV/AIDS
The Influence of Relationship Dynamics and Sexual Agreements on Perceived Partner Support and Benefit of PrEP Use Among Same-Sex Male Couples in the U.S.
First-line HIV treatment outcomes following the introduction of integrase inhibitors in UK guidelines a cohort study
Malawian women keen to join HIV prevention trials during pregnancy
Managing amphetamine use is critical to achieving HIV control
Global burden of hypertension among people living with HIV in the era of increased life expectancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) continuation, measurement, and reporting a systematic review and meta-analysis
Viral Rebound Among Persons With Diagnosed HIV Who Achieved Viral Suppression, United States
Successful Functional Aging in Middle-Aged and Older Adults with HIV
“Cure” Versus “Clinical Remission”: The Impact of a Medication Description on the Willingness of People Living with HIV to Take a Medication
Inequalities in uptake of HIV testing despite scale-up
Vaccine modelling shaping global policies for hepatitis B elimination and read the Lancet article here
Similar risk of hepatocellular carcinoma during long-term entecavir or tenofovir therapy in Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis B
High body mass index hinders fibrosis improvement in patients receiving long‐term tenofovir therapy in hepatitis B virus‐related cirrhosis
Update on epidemiology of hepatitis B in a low‐endemic European country: there is still much to do
Progress towards elimination of hepatitis C infection among people who inject drugs in Australia: The ETHOS Engage Study
Determinants of stigma among patients with hepatitis C virus infection
Network‐based recruitment of people who inject drugs for hepatitis C testing and linkage to care
Peer outreach point-of-care testing as a bridge to hepatitis C care for people who inject drugs in Toronto, Canada
The status of hepatitis C virus infection among people who inject drugs in the Middle East and North Africa
Cameroon study shows hepatitis C treatment is feasible, highly effective in sub-Saharan Africa
Commentary on Mahmud et al . (2020): Hepatitis C elimination efforts need to include people who inject drugs in the Middle East and North Africa
Estimated uptake of hepatitis C direct-acting antiviral treatment among individuals with HIV co-infection in Australia: a retrospective cohort study
Evolving trends in the prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibody positivity among HIV‐infected men in a community‐based primary care setting
Harm reduction
“Bed Bugs and Beyond”: An ethnographic analysis of North America's first women-only supervised drug consumption site
Incidence and factors associated with discontinuation of opioid agonist therapy among people who inject drugs in Australia
Sexual health
Outreach services to brothels facilitate sexually transmissible infection testing for Asian sex workers in regional Australia
International students’ views on sexual health: a qualitative study at an Australian university
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