HepatitisWA Newsletter July 2018

Newsletter

Issue 21 | July 2018

I’M ON THE JOURNEY TO THE CURE | P.10 RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN | P.11

Newsletter Editor Eliana Ennis Graphic Artist Eliana Ennis Board of Management Executive Members Chairperson Ms Ursula Swan Vice Chairperson Ms Max Taylor Treasurer Mr David Wilding Secretary Ms Selena West Non Executive Members Dr Aesen Thambiran Ms Carol Houghton Patron Dr Charles Watson Executive Director Frank Farmer Postal Address PO Box 67 Francis Street Northbridge, WA 6865 Information & Support Line Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm (08) 9328 8538 Metro 1800 800 070 Country

COVER PHOTO

CREDIT

Office 134 Aberdeen Street Northbridge, WA 6003 Telephone: (08) 9227 9802 Fax: (08) 9227 6545 Web: www.hepatitiswa.com.au Proof Reading Frank Farmer Sally Rowell Email the Editor resources@hepatitiswa.com.au

PHOTO BY SARA WINTER HepatitisWA acknowledges Aboriginal people as the traditional owners and custodians of our HepatitisWA (Inc). lands and water.

HepatitisWA is a community based organisation which provides a range services to the HepatitisWA recognises andofacknowledges community in response tocarers viralwhen hepatitis, the rights of their clients and particularly hepatitis accessing our services.B and C. Please contact us for more information, or make an appointment to stop by and talk with an appropriate member of our staff.

istockphoto.com.au

Opinions published in the HepatitisWA Newsletter are not necessarily those of the editor or of HepatitisWA (Inc). Information in this newsletter is not intended to take the place of medical advice from your GP or specialist. You should always get appropriate medical advice on your particular needs or circumstances. *Disclaimer: The copyright of external articles published in this newsletter remain with the original authors and publishers, unless otherwise stated.

APRIL JULY 2018

CONTENTS

10

14

22

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

COMMUNITY NEWS

PROMOTIONS

10 I’m on the Journey to the Cure

04 Letter from the Editor

05 Join us in the Social

Media World

08 Going Viral

Read her story, interview with

female client receiving hep C

treatment through the Deen Clinic

Written by Eliana Ennis

Viral hepatitis around the world

Connect with HepatitisWA on Facebook and Twitter today.

19 Deen Clinic Services

FEATURES

06 The Life of the Volunteer

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

24 ‘Why Miss Out’ Hep C Cure

National Campaign

16 5 Ways to Keep the Family

Moving this Winter

PEER BASED HARM REDUCTION WA’S DOMAIN

18 Recipe: Lamb Shanks and Mash

20 Strength in Community

Interview with Donna

11 Reconciliation Action Plan

Chat with Ursula

12 Welcome to the Deen Clinic

Recipe by Live Lighter

Stirling Empowerment Project

Interview with Nada, Deen Clinic General Practitioner

14 HepatitisWA Campaign

Be cured! Spread the Word

22 The Birds and the BBVs

written by Matt Armstrong

stay

connected www.hepatitiswa.com.au

www.facebook.com/HepWA

www.playthebloodrule.com

www.twitter.com/HepatitisWA

HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR We are already half way through the year and that means another special edition of the HepatitisWA newsletter!

Our features acknowledge NAIDOC Week by sharing stories around the numerous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander projects we have at HepatitisWA. Learn more about our organisations Reconciliation Action Plan through an interview with Chairperson Ursula Swan (p.11). She shares her insights on the Blood Borne Virus and Sexual Health Sector in West Australia and the challenges we are facing to strengthen connections with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities. Not to mention, a write up by our Work Force Development Officer Matt Armstrong and his involvement with ‘The Birds and the BBVs’ program, (p.22) an initiative of AHCWA that is designed to educate health care workers who engage with Aboriginal people.

NAIDOC Week 2018’s slogan is ‘because of her, we can’ so in support of this message we wanted to celebrate the work of one of our NSP (Needle and Syringe Program) volunteers, Donna and her experience as a volunteer. (p.6) This edition also honours World Hepatitis Day 28th July by highlighting the global campaign ‘Find the Missing millions’ and our national campaign ‘Why Miss Out’. With the global goal to eradicate viral hepatitis by 2030 we need to put the ‘spot light’ on testing and treatments. Support these campaigns by following us on Facebook or Twitter to stay informed about new information and resources leading up to the 28th July.

On our local WA ‘door step’, we continue to spread the word about the hepatitis C cure. It is incredible that we not only have access to the cure in Australia but the cure can be accessed through HepatitisWA’s Deen Clinic. A woman who is currently taking treatment at our Deen Clinic has kindly shared her story ‘on the journey to the cure’ (p.10) She receives support and care from the whole team at the Deen Clinic including one of our General Practitioners, Nada. (interview with Nada p.12) In the coming months you may see or hear messages on buses, coffee cups and the radio about the hepatitis C cure check out page 14 for more information.

Until next time, keep spreading the word about the cure and make sure to stay warm and healthy this winter with the delicious ‘Lamb Shank and Mash’ recipe (p.18) and some fun ‘keeping active’ tips in our health and lifestyle article. (p. 16)

Eliana Ennis Editor 4

HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

j o i n u s i n t h e s o c i a l m e d i a w o r l d. . . .

Keep up-to-date on: Latest news Events Resources & Publications Campaigns while connecting with our community

F i n d u s o n w w w. fa c e b o o k . c o m : H e pat i t i s WA

F i n d u s o n w w w.t w i t t e r .c o m : @ H e pat i t i s WA

THE LIFE OF A VOLUNTEER

well out in the community so I wanted to help. My friend said, ‘give HepatitisWA a ring because they are always looking for more volunteers.’ So, then I came in for an interview and started volunteering.

Why did you decide to become a volunteer at HepatitisWA? Mainly because I wanted to work in the NSP (needle and syringe program) and teach people about health and dealing with people using drugs, sharing needles.

With Indigenous fellas there are a lot of backyard tattoos going on and I wanted to let them know that you always have to have clean equipment and new needles.

Since starting here I’ve also learnt about the hepatitis C treatment and how easy it is to take.

What are your main responsibilities as a volunteer?

Donna is one of our amazing volunteers!

This year’s NAIDOC Week slogan is ‘because of her, we can’ so in support of this message we wanted to celebrate the work of one of our NSP (Needle and Syringe Program) volunteers, Donna and her experience as a volunteer. We asked her a series of questions to get the ‘inside scoop’ on her experience as a volunteer at HepatitisWA.

How did you learn about HepatitisWA? Through a mutual friend. Her mum used to be a volunteer here and now works for WA AIDS Council. She said because I get along with people and I’m interested in helping the community I should get in touch with HepatitisWA. There are a lot of Indigenous fellas that aren’t doing 6

HepatitisWA 2018 HepatitisWANewsletter Newsletter////April July 2018

Working in reception, serving clients who want to access the NSP and answering the phone. At HepatitisWA, we have a helpline so people can contact us and ask questions about viral hepatitis. We also have a lot of phone calls from the prisoners seeking information about hepatitis C. They only have 10 minutes on the phone so it’s really important that we get someone talking to them straight away so they can get answers to their questions.

As a volunteer I like packing the fitpacks for the NSP. It’s all about health, everything being clean, so we give them new needles, swabs and cotton balls. Clients can also buy sterilised water.

Me personally, I also like to help the HepatitisWA staff with other jobs;

FEATURE education classes, organising resources and community events. I really enjoy going out into the community. For NAIDOC Week, I’m going out to Armadale, Mirrabooka and Ashfield with Bianca our Health Promotions Officer to help at some events.

“Everyone

at

HepatitisWA

staff are champs! Everyone here is lovely.

The time I spend here is very enjoyable.

HepatitisWA aims to create a safe and inclusive environment for our Aboriginal clients. As an Aboriginal woman, how do you think we are doing and what things could we incorporate into the organisation is to better meet these aims.

lovely. The time I spend here is very enjoyable.”

Recently I went to the Marr Mooditj Open Day and that was really neat. I felt really comfortable talking to the people I met, talking on their level.

What is the best thing about being a volunteer at HepatitisWA? Getting to know the regulars. They have respect for you and the service. I’ve had no dramas while I’ve been here. Also, all the

I don’t know if we need to change anything we are already doing. We help out the homeless a lot. We always make sure they get water since they can’t sterilise their own. Instead of them feeling down about being homeless we just make sure they receive the same service. No matter what colour you are, if you live in the suburbs or in the city we offer water, we always offer the same service. We also have fruit salad that we give to the clients too which they love! They grab their packs and they grab their fruit.

As clients continue to use the service you can start to ask them questions, whether it’s about them needing sterilised water or harm reduction, they become more comfortable with you.

For Indigenous fellas it’s a lot to do with the shame of using so letting them know that everything is confidential is very important. We remind them that there’s no shame, they are doing the right thing getting clean needles and if they want to get tested our clinic coordinator Bec is great! She is very welcoming. I love being a volunteer!

Want to learn more about becoming a volunteer?

Visit our website: www.hepatitiswa.com.au and click ‘get involved’ or call 9227 9800 HepatitisWA 2018 HepatitisWANewsletter Newsletter////April July 2018

7

GOING VIRAL VIRAL HEPATITIS AROUND THE WORLD

FIND THE MISSING MILLIONS: WORLD HEPATITIS ALLIANCE GLOBAL CAMPAIGN

F

inding the missing Millions is the call to action for this years global campaign presented by the World Hepatitis Alliance in the lead up to World Hepatitis Day on 28th July. This world map graphic (reprinted from the hepVoice newsletter June 2018 edition) highlights some of the projects happening all over the world! To learn more visit www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/ news/jun-2018/june-2018-hepheadlines Here in Australia, we celebrate that to date over 60,000 people have already accessed the new hepatitis C treatment. However, more work still needs to be done to reach the 170,000 people living with hepatitis C and the nearly 240,000 people living with hepatitis B. Hepatitis Australia has released a campaign called ‘why miss out’ centred around the thought that the hep B treatment and hep C cure are the ‘golden ticket’ to see viral hepatitis eradication by 2030.

To learn more about this campaign visit worldhepatitisday. org.au or hepatitiswa.com.au 8

HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

Disclaimer: The news articles displayed in the HepatitisWA Newsletter remain the copyright of the original authors and news publications.

COMMUNITY NEWS

S

HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

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FEATURE PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

I’m on a Journey to the Cure HepatitisWA had the opportunity to interview a female patient who has recently started the hep C treatement at the Deen Clinic.

When and where were you first diagnosed with hepatitis C? Back in 2007, I was 19 years old, living in West Melbourne with my partner and we were both diagnosed with hep C. Why did you get a test for hepatitis C? My partner had heard that hep C is something you can get from sharing injecting equipment so we thought we better get tested. I was young, enjoying life and didn’t think something like this would ever happen to me.

How did you feel about the diagnosis and how did it affect you?

I felt horrible! Back then, you were told that having hep C was basically a death sentence.

Though I wasn’t alone, my partner and I both had it, I was still terrified.

Later when I got pregnant I was really scared that I’d give hep C to my child. In the end, I did a lot of research and found out that giving your baby hep C was very unlikely since it’s a blood borne virus. So then when I was pregnant with my second baby I was a lot more relaxed. If you’re pregnant with hep C you just need to make sure you have regular liver function tests, eat healthy and take care of yourself. Over time my fear toward hep C faded and I kind of forgot about my diagnosis.

that she had hep C too! My Mum was really supportive and it’s thanks to her that I even heard about the new treatment. I didn’t want to try the old interferon treatment because I heard some bad stories about the side effects so I waited.

What made you decide to seek treatment at the Deen Clinic?

Mum got cured of her hep C on the new treatment so she encouraged me to look into it too! After moving to WA, I talked to my GP and she was really helpful. She told me all about the new treatment and even called the Deen Clinic for me to arrange an appointment later that same day to see the liver specialist.

Everyone at the Deen Clinic is really nice and supportive. The process has been really easy!

I’ve now started the treatment and can’t wait to be cured!

What would you say to someone who is thinking about getting treated for hepatitis C? You have to remember to take the tablet the same time everyday so maybe hold off until you’re in a space that can allow you to do that for 12 weeks… apart from that, I would say do it!

“Everyone at the Deen Clinic is really nice and supportive. The process has been really easy!”

Have you told your family and friends about the hep C and if so how have they responded?

It took me a long time to tell anyone but after a few years I finally told my Mum about my hep C. The crazy thing was when I told her she said 10

HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

Source: Article by John Ronan. Reprinted from vol. 15, ed. 1 of Anex Bulletin, published by Penington Institute

FEATURE

Reconciliation action plan: Chat with Ursula Why is this project significant to you?

This project is significant to me as I believe HepatitisWA is the only hepatitis organisation creating one. This shows leadership, innovation and a commitment to engage with Aboriginal clients who frequent the service. It will build trust and respect between non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal peoples which will improve reconciliation.

To acknowledge NAIDOC Week HepatitisWA interviewed Ursula Swan to hear her perspective about the progress our organisation is making in creating a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

What is your role at HepatitisWA? I am the current Chairperson of the board for HepatitisWA. Why has HepatitisWA decided to create a RAP? The Reconcoliation Action Plan (RAP) is a framework to support the National Reconciliation movement.

HepatitisWA has decided to create one as it will benefit the organisation in regards to working with Aboriginal clients and ensuring that staff can build respectful and meaningful relationships which increases their knowledge of cultural awareness. As a service provider to the Aboriginal community, it will enhance the integrity of the organisation within the wider community.

What has been your involvement in the development of the RAP? I was invited to participate back in November 2017 and I provide an Aboriginal lens and knowledge to all discussions.

What would you say are the greatest challenges in the Blood Borne Virus and Sexual Health Sector in WA when it comes to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities?

Some Aboriginal people are distrustful of many mainstream organisations and by creating a RAP and sharing this with the Aboriginal community it may help in breaking down barriers. Also the shame factor that many Aboriginal people may be experiencing due to their behaviour which may not be acceptable within their community.

And what role do you believe HepatitisWA has to play to overcome these challenges?

HepatitisWA needs to maintain their openness and transparency with Aboriginal clients so that the clients know and feel they are entering a safe environment free of racism and judgement. Greeting all people in the same manner will provide consistency when working with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal clients.

The trustworthiness of an organisation will be strengthened by word of mouth throughout the Aboriginal community.

HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

11

Welcome to the

WHY DO CLIENTS CHOOSE TO GET TREATED THROUGH THE DEEN CLINIC RATHER THAN WITH THEIR OWN GP? People are confident in the experience of the clinicians here. We are very lucky to have a group of doctors that are up-to-date with the care needed for people with blood borne viruses and chronic hepatitis C. It starts from the friendly faces at the desk and familiarity of being in a safe place that relaxes a client. So, when they turn into a patient there is the same vibe. It’s a very normal part of the service.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO GPS WHO ARE HESITANT TO TREAT PATIENTS LIVING WITH HEP C? It’s actually a really positive experience! As a general practitioner it’s not often we have the opportunity to cure someone, it’s more about managing conditions, especially chronic conditions.

I think treating hepatitis C is actually not a hard process compared to what it was made to seem in the beginning. It’s quite easy to treat patients, it’s just a tablet a day, no matter what the genotype, doesn’t matter if the patient is cirrhotic or not, it’s the same process!

da Na et MeERA L PRA CTIO NER

GEN

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT THE DEEN CLINIC? I’m a GP, my main role is to assess and prescribe medication for people with chronic hep C so they can be cured of hep C! WHAT IS IT LIKE DEEN CLINIC?

WORKING

AT

THE

It’s good, mostly unpredictable. It’s a very positive place to work, where you often have opportunity to share positive health promotion messages about the hep C cure.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PART OF YOUR JOB? Cure day! I love telling people that they are cured of hep C. You can often give people a visual experience, showing them the previous and current platelet count or liver test results or virus load and how the body has changed with the influence of the cure.

12

HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

Source: This is a Press Release issued by WHO, Geneva

I think it definitely helps to have the support of a local haematology unit or a haematologist that can really assist to make sure you provide the correct treatment. However, once you’ve done 3 – 4 patients it’s very straight forward.

DO YOU BELIEVE THERE TO BE ANY BARRIERS STOPPING PEOPLE FROM ACCESSING HEPATITIS C TESTING AND TREATMENTS? I think there are still certain groups of people who haven’t yet accessed the services as much. There is still a lot of stigma around hep C. People who are older and have gotten on with their lives aren’t thinking about hep C. Baby boomers need to think about getting tested. However, it’s hard to encourage people to get tested because of the stigma.

That’s the great thing about our service, and I believe we are really lucky, patients come here because they really want to get tested and access treatment. I think hep C testing really should be part of patient care. Treating any chronic disease! It’s a chronic disease much like diabetes or heart disease and it

FEATURE should be treated the same. Unfortunately, though, I believe due to the stigma of how people often acquire chronic hep C it is difficult to encourage people to get tested. Though I don’t think there is the same judgement now for people aged 40-70 they may have experienced shame or judgement in the past and they’ve dealt with it for a large portion of their lives.

I also think we need to do better with reaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. I think there is a real opportunity to engage with them. We need to have stronger partnerships with local Aboriginal health services. People with severe mental illness are missed a bit too. For this group, it’s often hard to stick to the routine of one tablet a day. Sometimes it’s just not the ideal time to start treatment. It’s all about finding the right time!

DO YOU THINK THERE IS MORE HEPATITISWA COULD BE DOING TO REACH THE LOCAL ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITIES? About 10% of patients that we have treated at the Deen Clinic are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

HepatitisWA staff have been to Derbal Yerrigan, the local Aboriginal medical service in East Perth, ran training sessions for the GPs about routine screening, testing and hep C treatments. The priority areas for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are often not hep C treatment. As a GP, we have to lower their sugars, yes, we have to check blood pressure and cardiovascular risks more so than hep C. There is still that debilitation with hep C over 20 years that is important to highlight.

Hepatitis C treatment is cancer prevention, it’s important to look at it as a positive intervention and not an addition to the many problems you may already be dealing with.

WHAT DO YOU THINK NEEDS TO CHANGE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA TO SEE MORE PEOPLE LIVING WITH HEPATITIS C ACCESS TREATMENT? I think we need to be more patient focused. We should think more about some of the reasons why people don’t access treatment: affordability, stigma, judgement, mental health. Look more at a case by case approach to each person. Some people will do really well if you prescribe a treatment and call

them up with all the results however, others need more of a customised approach including a daily call prompting the client to take their tablets. I think we need to be able to offer treatment to everyone and all the services that go along with the treatment.

We also need to look more at our regional areas.

Again, the stigma is still very difficult to address. I feel that if we were to offer patients a liver health check it would be a lot more approachable instead of having a blood borne virus check. However, that still does nothing to minimise the stigma around the virus.

HAVE YOU COME ACROSS ANY METHODS THAT ARE A GOOD APPROACH TO THE SUBJECT OF STIGMA? It’s so tough! Even in the real success stories we see in the clinic very rarely do patients say ‘I’m going to tell my friends that I’ve been cured from hep C here and recommend the service’, they still feel shame because they lived with a blood borne virus.

We’ve got a long way to go when it comes to stigma.

We are just trying to make it be a normal part of patient care. Just how, now, sexual health is normalised and we are much more comfortable to ask a patient to wee in a cup to test for chlamydia, we need to get to that point with blood borne viruses too.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE CONSIDERING THE HEP C TREATMENTS? I’d say roll the dice and do it! There is no better time than now to do it and I promise you you’ll feel so much better. In yourself, you’ll feel less fatigued and also it’s very rare to do something for yourself that is so positive for your future and it will mean getting rid of something that you may have been living with for a long time.

IF YOU HAVE HEPATITIS C AND WOULD LIKE TO GET TREATED THROUGH OUR DEEN CLINIC CONTACT OUR NURSE COORDINATOR REBECCA ON (08) 9227 9800 TO ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT. HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

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Hepatitis C CURE available now Be cured!

Spread the word!

HepatitisWA has launched a campaign to coincide with World Hepatitis Day on July 28th. The Campaign will continue from last year’s successful design centred around the message ‘Hepatitis C Cure available now’. Though 60,000 have been cured from hep C since the release of the direct-acting antivirals medicines there are still 170,000 people in Australia living with the virus.

In WA, we want the hep C cure message to reach the general public and encourage people to spread the word! Look out for our message on the back of CAT buses around the CBD and listen for our message on CurtinFM 100.1.

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HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

FEATURE

For

something

exciting

different…HepatitisWA

is

and also

in collaboration with Paper Cup Project and a local artist to create a unique coffee cup with the ‘hep C cure’ message to be released in local cafes (artwork still to be revealed, so make sure you follow us on Facebook to find out which cafes will be stocking our cups!)

How can you help? Spread the word, tell your friends and family about the hep C cure!

HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

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5 WAYS TO KEEP THE FAMILY MOVING THIS WINTER Let’s face it, we all dread saying goodbye to summer. No more family beach trips, walks along the foreshore, balmy summer nights.

The cooler months have arrived and you may instinctively want to go into hibernation, curl up on the sofa and binge watch all your favourite series. I beg you to get active with the family and take advantage of the many winter activity possibilities.

Here are our 5 top tips to keep active this winter with your family.

1. Change your mindset – embrace the cold 2. Set some goals I don’t believe that people don’t want to exercise just because it’s winter. I just think that our minds get the better of us and the thought of keeping active in the cold becomes an impossible task.

Changing our mindset to believe that keeping active in winter actually has enormous benefits on our health and well being can help get us get back into the right frame of mind and achieving our fitness goals faster. Rug up and get moving.

16

A great way to help you get moving over winter is to sit down as a family and set some fun fitness goals. This will not only ensure quality time together but will also keep you all accountable. Setting goals together will help you stay motivated and encourage you to help each other out when the going gets tough.

Some great ideas for family goals over winter include: Commit to an event. It can be a running event, (there are so many great runs out there, we are spoilt for choice), a walking event, an obstacle race event If events are not your thing, set a goal to achieve a certain amount of steps together.

Pedometers are a great way of tracking your steps and there are a variety of smart watches available that will also track this.

Join a parkrun and set a goal to complete a certain number of them over Winter. parkrun is family friendly and 100% FREE. You can walk, jog, run. It’s up to you.

HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

Source: LiveLighter ® State of Western Australia 2013. Reproduced with permission. For more healthy recipes and tips visit www.livelighter.com.au

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

3. Hit the local pool

5. Take a hike

When it’s cold and dark outside, one of the warmest places you can go is your local indoor heated pool. Take the kids for a dip or enrol them in some swimming lessons. Water games like Marco Polo are also fun and healthy and can help build children’s confidence in the water. Just be sure to pack a towel and some warm clothes so you can all rug up before heading back out into the cold.

Hiking is one of my favourite activities and a great way to get connected with nature. Choose your destination carefully and make sure it’s not too technical for the littlies. Layer up and get set for a great day out.

The key to having an enjoyable day out hiking with the family is to keep it fun. There are lots of things to touch, see, smell. Take your time and take it all in.

Play games along the way as this will pass the time for the kids that find longer hikes challenging.

4. Get on your bike Most major cities now offer bikes for hire at a nominal cost (some are even free). Map out some rides that you can do as a family and go for a long bike ride. Split up your ride by stopping for lunch at the half way mark.

Be sure to pack plenty of snacks and water. There will be a few hungry mouths after all that walking.

So there you have it, some great tips on keeping active over winter with the family. What do you and your family like to do to keep active?

Cycling is great way to keep active, take in the stunning surroundings whilst spending quality time together.

HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

LAMB SHANKS AND MASH Ingredients: -Spray olive or canola oil spray - 1 lamb shank to taste pepper, to taste - 1 tbs plain flour - 1 onion, chopped - 4 cloves garlic, chopped - 1 stalk celery, chopped

- 1 carrot, chopped - 10 mushrooms - 1 400 g can no-added-salt diced tomatoes - 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce - 1 tbs dried rosemary, or 15 cm if using fresh

- 1 tbs plum jam - 1 cup water - 1 tsp reduced-salt vegetable stock powder - 2 potatoes, chopped - 30 mL low-fat milk

method: 1. Preheat oven to 160°C. 2. Toss lamb with flour and pepper in a plastic bag. Heat oil in a large non-stick frypan.

3. Shake extra flour off lamb and pan-fry until brown on all sides (about 5 minutes) and place in a large casserole dish (best if dish has a lid).

4. Add all vegetables except tomatoes and potatoes to the frypan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often until they begin to colour slightly.

5. Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, jam, water, stock powder and leftover flour from the plastic bag. Stir well and bring to the boil.

6. Pour tomato-vegetable mixture over the lamb, cover with a lid or foil and bake in the oven for at least 2 hours. Remove the casserole a couple of times during cooking, and ladle the sauce over the top of the meat to baste. After 2 ½ to 3 hours the meat should fall off the bone.

7. To prepare mash, microwave or boil potatoes till a fork goes easily into the pieces. Add milk and pepper and mash well with a fork or potato masher till you get the texture you like.

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HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

Source: LiveLighter ® State of Western Australia 2013. Reproduced with permission. For more healthy recipes and tips visit www.livelighter.com.au

HepatitisWA’s Deen Clinic is open for hepatitis C treatments. confidential service, available to anyone living with hep c Make an appointment on (08) 9227 9800.

100%

Bulk-Billing

Our services include: Hepatitis C testing

134 Aberdeen St, Northbridge WA 6003

Hepatitis C treatment

P: (08) 9227 9800

Support

E: info@hepatitiswa.com.au

Referrals

W: www.hepatitiswa.com.au HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

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Strength in Community: Stirling Empowerment Project The “Strength in Community: Stirling Empowerment Project”, based at Peer Based Harm Reduction WA, is a new outreach program operating in the City of Stirling.

The project aims to empower and support vulnerable and disadvantaged people, (including those from culturally and linguistically diverse, or CaLD, backgrounds), who are experiencing issues with their alcohol and other drug use and/or with their mental health.

Strength in Community aims to help people in the City of Stirling access services in their local area that are capable of providing culturally appropriate care, as best suits their individual needs. Our workers can also facilitate better access for people from these communities to the range of health and harm reduction services provided by Peer Based Harm Reduction WA, with a particular focus on access to our health clinic services, (which include free testing, vaccinations, and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and Blood Borne Viruses (BBVs) such as hepatitis C).

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HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

All health clinic services at Peer Based Harm Reduction WA are completely free of charge to the consumer. These services include testing for STIs and BBVs, vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, and providing treatment for hepatitis C and for some STI’s. People can access treatment for free at our health clinic.

Leanne is a nurse practitioner with a wealth of experience and knowledge and provides a non-judgmental and friendly service. You can drop in and see Leanne on any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and you do not need an appointment.

Amongst other services, Peer Based Harm Reduction WA provides a needle and syringe exchange program (NSEP) where people can access a diverse range of sterile injecting equipment on a free one-for-one exchange basis. Harm Reduction WA also provides overdose prevention education and naloxone training, (including providing free naloxone kits to anyone who might witness an overdose), and a range of other health and harm reduction services for people who use drugs (PWUD). For more information, give us a call on (08) 9325 8387.

Project officers Jarrod and Cassie were asked…

How did you become involved with Strength in Community?

Jarrod: I am currently studying at Edith Cowan University to become a paramedic. Part of my degree was a work placement in the health sector. I have always been a firm believer in harm reduction, so in August 2017 I reached out to Peer Based Harm Reduction WA to undertake my placement in an organisation that I believed was doing great work. After my placement was finished, I decided to stay on as a volunteer because I thoroughly enjoyed my experience on placement and engaging with the diverse people who access the services at Harm Reduction WA. After volunteering for 6 months, I was offered a position as an intensive outreach worker on the Strength in Community program. I have loved every minute of it so far and I am looking

PEER BASED HARM REDUCTION WA’S DOMAIN forward to contributing to the empowerment of disadvantaged and vulnerable people, with AOD and mental health issues, in the City of Stirling.

difference in peoples’ lives and believe in the importance of providing culturally appropriate assistance in order to achieve sustainable health outcomes.

Cassie: I am a 2015 Health Science graduate from Curtin University and after completing sexology units, I started volunteering in the NSEP services at the WA AIDS Council. As a person from a CaLD background myself, I am sensitive to the challenges faced by CaLD people and I know from experience how life changing it is to have non-judgmental and respectful dialogue surrounding taboo topics such as AOD use, sexual health and mental health. I am genuinely excited by the potential of this program and I hope to be a resourceful contributor to helping vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in ways that lead to their empowerment and self-determination.

As the CaLD engagement project officer, I have strong aspirations to make a positive

What are some of the challenges you are aiming to overcome?

Jarrod: The biggest challenge we are aiming to overcome are the barriers that often prevent disadvantaged people, (especially those from CaLD backgrounds), from accessing the help and support that they may need.

These barriers include language barriers, the cultural appropriateness of services and, in most cases, people not knowing that such services exist. We are aiming to break down these barriers by providing a non-judgmental service, which will help people in the City of Stirling to navigate the variety of support networks that are out there and to increase their level of involvement in their community.

Peer Based Harm Reduction WA Services  Needle Syringe Exchange Program (NSEP)  

BE FREE FROM HEP C B Peer Based Harm Reduction WA Services

 Needle Syringe Exchange Program (NSEP)

Safe Disposal Nurse - Free walk in Health Clinic (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)

 Postal Service (anywhere in WA)

 

Safe Disposal Nurse - Free walk in Health Clinic (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)

 Postal Service (anywhere in WA)

 Outreach Service (Delivery, Criteria applies, contact us for further details)

 Outreach Service (Delivery, Criteria applies, contact us for further details)

 Youth Outreach (Targets young people under 25 years)

 Youth Outreach (Targets young people under 25 years)

 Naloxone Training (training sessions last Thursday of every month)

 Naloxone Training (training sessions last Thursday of every month)

 OPAM (Overdose Prevention And Management)

 OPAM (Overdose Prevention And Management)  Consumer Advocacy

 Consumer Advocacy

EASY ACCESS TO FREE HEPATITIS C TREATMENT  Community Engagement  Workforce Development AT PEER BASED HARM REDUCTION WA

 Community Engagement  Workforce Development

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www.harmreductionwa.org

Needle Exchange Opening Hours Monday to Wednesday & Friday

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www.harmreductionwa.org

Needle Exchange VISIT OUR ONSITEOpening HEALTHHours CLINIC Monday to Wednesday & Friday

- 10am to 5pm

- 10am to 5pm

NO APPOINTMENTS NECESSARY:

Thursday - 10am to 8pm

Thursday - 10am to 8pm

Saturday and Sunday - 1pm to 4pm

Saturday and Sunday - 1pm to 4pm

(Closed Public Holidays)

(Closed Public Holidays)

22/7 Aberdeen street Perth

22/7 Aberdeen street Perth

Phone 9325 8387

EASY AT

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9325 8387

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HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

21

The Birds and the BBVs WRITTEN BY MATT ARMSTRONG In 2017 HepatitisWA was invited by the Aboriginal Health Council of WA (AHCWA) to take part in their sexually transmitted infection (STI) and blood borne virus (BBV) initiative aimed at regional Aboriginal health workers. The program is called ‘The Birds and the BBV’s’ and it is a two day training course that aims to bring together health care workers who engage with Aboriginal people to improve their skills, motivation and 22

HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

confidence around STI’s and BBV’s. The program highlights the importance of yarning with clients and community about testing for STI’s and BBV’s, and discusses the importance and challenges of including opportunistic testing for STI’s and BBV’s into routine healthcare. The program also covers many other important components related to STI’s and BBV’s, such as transmission and prevention strategies, treatment regimes, harm reduction strategies, and practical skills for discussing testing, positive diagnosis, and providing referral pathways.

Since its inception, AHCWA have successfully delivered 20 programs across the state, reaching approximately 150 participants, including Aboriginal health workers and other people who work with Aboriginal people. It has been rolled out in regional, remote, and very remote areas such as Bunbury, Albany, Broome, Kalgoorlie, Roebourne, Northam, Carnarvon, and Wiluna.

FEATURE Although the impact of the training is hard to determine, the anecdotal feedback from participants is very encouraging. Most regions report a significant increase in the number of tests offered to clients in a typical week, and the feedback from participants indicated that the overall confidence in talking about STI’s and BBV’s has improved since attending the training. Following are some quotes from previous participants;

“I find it a lot easier to offer a test now” “I find it not so awkward, I’ve normalised it” “I became more confident with more practice” “I wasn’t doing testing before the training, I now offer it daily” In May of this year, AHCWA and HepatitisWA took ‘The Birds and the BBV’s’ on the road to the very remote area of Wiluna. Located in the Goldfields, it is approximately 600km north of Kalgoorlie, and has a local Aboriginal population of around 500 community members. During this trip, we conducted the program with the Ngangganawili Aboriginal Health Service. This AMS services the population of Wiluna itself, but also the surrounding communities of Kutabubba and Bondini.

Although a few of the Aboriginal health workers we had hoped to see at the training were called away to manage pressing medical issues, the class was still very well attended. There was a number of local health care workers present representing a diverse mix of workforce roles including Aboriginal health workers, registered and enrolled nurses, child and maternal health staff, paramedic staff, youth workers and social and emotional wellbeing counsellors. Many of the health care workers were pivotal in leading discussion about the reality and limitations of current STI and BBV related knowledge and practices in this isolated region. We were able to successfully update staff with accurate, up-to-date information on current best practices, and improve their skills in discussing testing, treatments, and prevention strategies for STI’s and BBV’s.

Through contact with these key staff members, we were also given access to other educational opportunities. We were introduced to the local GP who has been operating in town for 17 years

and discussed the prevalence of BBV’s and STI’s in the community, as well as current testing and treatment options. We discussed the limitations of providing these services in small towns, and the feasibility of auditing for patients with known viral hepatitis for follow up and referral. We were also given an opportunity to present at the local school. There were separate education sessions conducted with both the high school aged boys and girls, focussing on STI and BBV prevention discussion. Given the potentially taboo nature of discussing sexual health and drug related themes, a community elder was present during both presentations to ensure cultural sensitivity.

A tailored, basic version of this training was also provided to primary school students, focusing on blood awareness and safety. The feedback following these presentations was very positive, with most students indicating they knew very little prior to our visit, but now felt much more confident and informed. There were also attempts to provide training to the general community; however, these were not successful at reaching many people.

Whilst providing education to remote service providers and communities is not without its access challenges, it is very rewarding and mutually beneficial for the trainers, participants, organisations and ultimately the community. As education programs like this are not routinely offered in small towns like Wiluna, we have found that when offered the participants are enthusiastic, motivated, welcoming, and appreciative.

HepatitisWA Newsletter // July 2018

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