#75 • November 2017
Community News
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Hepatitis SA provides free information and education on viral hepatitis, and support to people living with viral hepatitis.
Cover: James Morrison, derived from photo of SĂŁo Paulo Correspondence: Please send all correspondence to The Editor at PO Box 782, Kent Town, SA 5071, or email editor@hepatitissa.asn.au. Editor: James Morrison
Street Address: 3 Hackney Road, Hackney Postal Address:
PO Box 782 Kent Town SA 5071
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(08) 8362 8443 1800 437 222 (08) 8362 8559
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HEPATITIS SA BOARD Chair Arieta Papadelos Vice Chair Bill Gaston Secretary Lindsay Krassnitzer Treasurer Sam Raven Ordinary Members Catherine Ferguson Ratan Gazmere Kirsten Hicks Sharon Jennings Maggie McCabe Kerry Paterson (EO) Deborah Perks
Contents
1 World Hepatitis Summit 5 Dr G. Yunupingu’s Legacy 8 The Anchorage Consensus 10 Hep B & the Chinese Community 12 Reaching Out to Baby Boomers 14 In Our Library 16 Overdose Day 2017
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of Hepatitis SA. Information contained in this newsletter is not intended to take the place of medical advice given by your doctor or specialist. We welcome contributions from Hepatitis SA members and the general public. SA Health has contributed funds towards this program.
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he hepatitis community at the World Hepatitis Summit has called on world political leaders to remove reform laws and law enforcement procedures to facilitate access to prevention services by people who use drugs. In a declaration titled “No Elimination Without Decriminalization”, members of the community expressed concern over “the growing gap between the enormous impact of hepatitis B and hepatitis C over people who use drugs and their almost non-existent access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment services around the world”. The statement said, “This lack of access to hepatitis care for people who use drugs is deeply rooted in and driven
by our laws and policies which criminalise drug use, drug possession and, ultimately, people who use drugs themselves.
Lisa Carter/Hepatitis SA
As this issue was going to press, the World Hepatitis Summit was being held in São Paulo, Brazil, over the first three days of November. The Summit is a largescale, global biennial event; a joint initiative between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA). Here we present some of the highlights from the conference.
“Punitive drug law enforcement is a direct barrier to harm reduction services in many ways. “Even in countries that have integrated harm reduction into domestic public health policies, criminalisation remains a glass ceiling – as the fear of arrest continues to drive people away from prevention and care services.” The statement declared whole-hearted support for the WHO member states’ commitment to the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030. Read more on p4 of this issue.
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Nine Countries on Track to Eliminate Hepatitis C
ew data released by Polaris Observatory show that nine countries—Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Netherlands and Qatar—are set to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030. Worldwide, viral hepatitis kills more than one million people each year, and more than 300 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B or C. However, with the development of highly-effective direct acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C and the increasing rates of hepatitis B treatment and vaccination coverage globally, elimination of viral hepatitis is a real possibility.
“This new data shows that elimination of hepatitis C is possible but it also shows more must be done to support governments in tackling viral hepatitis,” said Charles Gore, President of the World Hepatitis Alliance. Since the adoption of the WHO’s elimination targets in 2016, which include a 90% reduction of new hepatitis B and C infections and a 65% reduction in hepatitis B- and C-related mortality by 2030, some countries are making great strides. Sadly, multiple factors prevent progress for the majority: a lack of political will and funding, poor data and surveillance, lack of access to diagnostics and
HCV Elimination Targets
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HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 75 • November 2017
medicines and poor diagnosis rates of only 10% worldwide for hepatitis B and 20% for hepatitis C. Countries highlighted at the World Hepatitis Summit for their innovative work to eliminate viral hepatitis are Brazil, Egypt, Australia and Georgia. In 2017, Egypt pledged to test 30 million for hepatitis C by the end of 2018 by implementing mass screening initiatives (including assistance from the military), as well as massproducing generic copies of DAA drugs for under US$200 per 12-week course. Brazil has committed to gradually lift treatment restrictions in 2018 so that
The Australian government responded to the call for universal access to the hepatitis C DAAs with an AUS $1billion dollar investment over 5 years. This risksharing agreement with pharmaceutical companies provides government-funded treatment to all adults without restriction and has paved the way for the elimination of hepatitis C by 2030.
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record 3 million people were cured of hepatitis C in the past two years and 2.8 million embarked on lifelong treatment for hepatitis B in 2016. The WHO Director of HIV and Global Hepatitis Programs, Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, said there was a nearly 5-fold increase in the number of countries developing national plans to eliminate life-threatening viral hepatitis over the last 5 years. “These results bring hope that the elimination of
hepatitis can and will become a reality,” he said. WHA President Charles Gore said the world was still a long way from achieving elimination of viral hepatitis but the goal was “eminently achievable” – it just required immediate action. He said the World Hepatitis Summit in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was an opportunity for experts, researchers, workers and community representatives to explore how to turn the WHO strategy into concrete actions at local levels.
Lisa Carter/Hepatitis SA
the country will be able to treat all people infected with hepatitis C. Previously, treatment was restricted to only the sickest patients with advanced liver disease.
3 Million HCV Cures in 2 Years
More than 30,000 patients with hepatitis C were treated and cured in 2016. The Polaris Observatory was developed and managed by the CDA Foundation, a nonprofit organisation. CDA Director Homie Razavi said, “What we are seeing is that some countries, especially those with a high burden, are making the elimination of viral hepatitis a priority and are looking at innovative ways to do it. “However, it will be nearimpossible for most other countries to meet the WHO targets without a huge scale-up in political will and access to diagnostics and treatment.” WHA President Charles Gore
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São Paulo Declaration on Hepatitis Call for Equitable Access
High-level government representatives at the World Hepatitis Summit have affirmed the rights of governments to use the flexibilities of the WTO agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS*) to increase access to affordable, safe, effective and quality medicines. The São Paulo Declaration at the conclusion of the Summit in reaffirmed support for the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis 2016-2021. Among the key points in the 25-point Declaration, is a call on governments to include hepatitis B vaccines in national immunisation programs, including for health workers as needed. It expressed concern that the current global hepatitis B vaccine coverage is estimated at only 84% which is below the 90% global target. The Declaration also expressed concern that current global coverage for birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine to prevent mother – to-child transmission is only 39%—significantly lower
than the global target of 50% by 2020 and 90% by 2030. While acknowledging that situations and contexts are different for each country, the Declaration pledged to “fully implement” the Global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis 2016-2021, affirming the strategy’s five strategic directions of: • Information for focused action • Interventions for impact • delivering for equity • financing for sustainability, and • innovation for acceleration The Declaration said member states will accelerate the implementation of the core interventions outlined in the Global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis including: • hepatitis B vaccination • prevention of motherto-child transmission of hepatitis B • blood safety • injection safety • harm reduction • testing services • treatment The Declaration noted that “intellectual property rights are an important incentive in the development
of new health products”, but highlighted the need to mobilise adequate and predictable resources for the viral hepatitis response, especially in low and middle income countries. It also highlighted the need to promote equitable access, availability and affordability of quality, effective and safe diagnostics, vaccines, services and treatment in each country in order to combat hepatitis and eliminate it as a public health threat by 2030. The Declaration recognised with appreciation the new drugs for hepatitis B and C, introduced in recent years, achieved through investment in innovation, but expressed “great concern” in the increasing cost to health systems and patients and called for the situation to be addressed. It called on the WHO to provide technical support and assistance to help accelerate the implementation of the strategy towards the elimination of viral hepatitis. Read the full declaration at bit.ly/2h8sh6E.
* In 2001, the WTO clarified, through the Doha Declaration that the scope of TRIPS can and should be interpreted in the light of the goal to promote access to medicines for all. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIPS_Agreement#Access_to_essential_medicines)
Dr G. Yunupingu’s Legacy
It’s time to get rid of chronic hepatitis B in Indigenous Australia
Benjamin Cowie (Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity), James Ward (Infectious Diseases Research Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute) and Steven Tong (The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity) reflect on the state of HBV in Indigenous Australia in the wake of a tragedy.
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ews of the tragic death of Dr G. Yunupingu in Darwin in August at only 46 years of age has again highlighted the unacceptable gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and other Australians. Yunupingu had been living with chronic hepatitis B since early in life, and experienced complications of this condition including liver and kidney disease. Hepatitis B infections, which can lead to liver disease and cancer, are
unacceptably high in Indigenous Australians. In Northern Australia, 10-20% of the Indigenous population is infected with the virus. Eliminating the impact of this infection in Indigenous Australians would make a substantial contribution to closing the gap in life expectancy.
Hepatitis B in Indigenous Australia
Hepatitis B is the most prevalent form of viral hepatitis worldwide. It’s also the leading cause of liver cancer. Interestingly, hepatitis B used to be known as the “Australia Antigen” as it was first discovered in Australian Aboriginal people in the 1960s. Hepatitis B is around 10 times more prevalent in Indigenous communities than in the rest of Australia. Of the nearly 240,000 Australians estimated to be living with chronic hepatitis B, over 20,000 are thought to be Indigenous people. New infections with hepatitis B remain three times as common
in Indigenous people as in non-Indigenous Australians. The chance of developing chronic hepatitis B depends on an individual’s age at the time of infection. Around 90% of those who were exposed as infants develop chronic hepatitis B, but only 5% of those who were exposed as adults will develop chronic infection. Most people living with chronic hepatitis B were infected as young children – often, through mother-tochild transmission at the time of birth. This is why vaccination during infancy is particularly important. The prevalence of chronic (long-term) hepatitis B in Indigenous Australians varies significantly between regions. It is most prevalent in remote areas of Australia, with the Northern Territory having the highest prevalence of any Australian jurisdiction. Around 1.8% of the NT population live with the disease.
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The prevalence of hepatitis B and other communicable diseases such as skin infections and influenza in Indigenous communities is intensified by the social, economic, environmental and political situation in which Indigenous Australians find themselves.
Liver disease
In some people, chronic hepatitis B can cause severe liver scarring (cirrhosis) or liver cancer. Less commonly, hepatitis B can damage other parts of the body, including the kidneys and blood vessels. Chronic liver disease contributes significantly to the Indigenous life expectancy gap. Liver cancer is the fastestincreasing cause of cancer
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deaths in Australia. In 2016, it was the sixthmost-common cause of cancer deaths. However, for Indigenous people it is the second-most-common cause of cancer-related death after lung cancer. Compared to nonIndigenous Australians living in the NT, the rate of death due to liver cancer is six times greater in Indigenous Australians. Cure is rare with liver cancer, and most Indigenous Australians die within a few months of being diagnosed. In the NT, a range of factors contribute to the unequal burden of liver cancer in Indigenous Australians, but hepatitis B is the most important cause. Hepatitis B vaccine is one way: a safe, effective
HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 75 • November 2017
: http://bit.ly/2u1oWek
vaccine for hepatitis B has been provided for all infants in Australia since 2000 – and in the Northern Territory since 1990. As a result, new hepatitis B infections in children born since 2000, as well as those who received adolescent catch-up vaccination from 1998 onwards, have fallen markedly. However, funded hepatitis B vaccine for Indigenous adults is available only in some states and territories. This limits access for Indigenous people who remain at much higher risk of infection. A recent study suggested a funded catchup vaccination program for Indigenous adults could rapidly eliminate disparity in hepatitis B incidence.
Vaccination has no effect for those who already have chronic hepatitis B. It is believed over 90,000 Australians living with hepatitis B have never been diagnosed and are unaware of their infection. Only 15% of those infected are receiving treatment or monitoring for their condition.
healthcare practitioner champions the cause of hepatitis B treatment and elimination. Those infected are contacted and encouraged to see the specialist team.
Other ways to reduce infections
culturally appropriate approaches. Also important is partnering with communities and their health workers to develop new ways of building awareness of hepatitis B as an important health issue.
Several other regions in the world with large Indigenous populations and high hepatitis B prevalence, such as Alaska Unlike hepatitis C, hepatitis and New Zealand, have B is not yet curable, but developed programs to test current treatments are most of the population very well tolerated and and identify those with effective at preventing hepatitis B infections. liver disease and liver Affected individuals are cancer. The profound lack offered regular followof access to treatment and up and care to prevent care among Indigenous cirrhosis and liver cancer. people contributes to the When delivering such disproportionate impact care to Indigenous of hepatitis B on this communities, it’s essential population. to develop trust and ensure
An example of innovative care has been operating in Dr G. Yunupingu’s home community of Galiwin’ku for over five years. Under the management of Miwatj Health, an Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation, a hepatitis specialist visits regularly three to four times per year. The specialist brings necessary diagnostic equipment and effectively provides a “one-stop shop” for individuals living with hepatitis B in Galiwin’ku. Just as importantly, a local
With comprehensive public health initiatives, long-term commitment to funding and policy— including significant workforce development to ensure as many people as possible are tested and appropriately followed up—the impact of hepatitis B on Indigenous communities can be eliminated.
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The Anchorage Consensus Tackling the toll of hepatitis on Indigenous people globally
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his year is the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, an international statement which sets out the individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples, as well as their rights to culture, identity, language, employment, health, education and other issues. The declaration also emphasises the rights of indigenous peoples to maintain and strengthen their own institutions, cultures and traditions, and to pursue their development in keeping with their own
needs and aspirations, as well as prohibiting discrimination against indigenous peoples. Australia initially voted against the declaration (one of only four countries to do so), though finally endorsed it two years later. In this anniversary year, delegates at the second World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Viral Hepatitis, which was held in Anchorage, Alaska in early August, seized the opportunity to develop a powerful consensus statement which calls on nation-states and governments to commit to eliminating viral hepatitis among all Indigenous Peoples
and Tribal Communities across the globe by 2030. The delegates noted that “to maintain momentum, it is critical that an Indigenousled working group be formed and supported to drive international action on eliminating viral hepatitis in Indigenous Peoples; recognising how Indigenous Peoples are organised, and designed to ensure those with the greatest needs are served first.” The statement is timely for Australia as the Commonwealth Government are embarking on the development of a new set of national strategies addressing viral hepatitis, HIV and STIs, as well as the 5th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander STI and BBV Strategy. You can download a copy of the final statement, in PDF form, at bit.ly/2yrDY1S. LEFT: Australia’s delegates make a dramatic entrance RIGHT: Some of the international presenters
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Second World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Viral Hepatitis
Anchorage Consensus Statement 2017 As delegates at the 2nd World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Viral Hepatitis held in Anchorage, Alaska, who are committed to effective action on viral hepatitis in indigenous a n d t r i b a l communities, we declare the following:
We SEEK the ELIMINATION of avoidable mortality from people living with viral hepatitis, and the ELIMINATION of viral hepatitis from Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Communities WORLDWIDE by 2030. We REQUIRE OUR nation-states and governments to make special provision in health and funding policies to achieve elimination of viral hepatitis from Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Communities by 2030. We RECOGNISE and SUPPORT the desire of Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Communities to determine our futures and to receive culturally effective services which reduce the impact and eliminate viral hepatitis. As we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we AFFIRM our commitment to Indigenous rights and URGE nation-states and governments to facilitate further progress. To maintain momentum, it is critical that an Indigenous-led working group be formed and supported to drive international action on eliminating Viral Hepatitis in Indigenous Peoples; recognising how Indigenous Peoples are organised, and designed to ensure those with the greatest needs are served first. 9 August 2017 – Anchorage, Alaska, USA
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Free, confidential information and support on viral hepatitis:
1800 437 222 November 2017 • HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 75
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Spreading Hep B Info Working with the Chinese Community
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he South Australian Chinese community has responded enthusiastically to fibroscan clinics and hepatitis B testing organised by Hepatitis SA in the last 11 months.
Hepatitis B Community Education Chinese project
officer, Chen Bin, said Chinese people in general has a high level of interest in managing their health. “This is especially true of the middle-aged and seniors. They use their free time to look up information on the
internet and usually would take up opportunities for free health checks,” she said. “They will also sometimes tell their friends and family members of these opportunities and get them to attend as well.” She said younger members of the community are usually busier managing careers and young families and are harder to reach. “They are also less hampered by language barrier should they need health services, so are not as anxious as the older generation,” she added. Hepatitis SA’s Hepatitis B Community Education project with the Chinese community had to date engaged with over 160 participants in information sessions and distributed information resources to over 700 people.
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This work was strongly supported by local Chinese groups including the Chinese Association of SA, Overseas Chinese Association Seniors program, Chinese Welfare Services SA and the Cantonese Opera Adelaide SA. More than 210 people received fibroscans at sessions held in local community centres. The fibroscan clinics, provided by viral hepatitis nurses from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, provided opportunities for the nurses and Hepatitis SA staff to talk to participants about transmission risks, vaccination and need for regular check-ups for people known to be hepatitis B positive.
Some of Hepatitis SA’s \ Chinese-language resources
organised visits as well as a one day clinic which screened over 50 people.
With the support of a private general As a result of the testing, 25 people practice, the project was also able to provide hepatitis B testing to 56 people via received hepatitis B vaccinations and several people returned to regular care.
The project will continue till mid-2018 and planning is underway for more fibroscans and screening. For more information, email bin@hepsa. asn.au or call 0403 648 348. Cecilia Lim Information & Resources Coordinator Chen Bin, left, talks with a community member
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Looking for Baby Boomers Reaching out
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lmost eight out of ten people living with hepatitis C are not current injecting drug users. Although the majority of Australians who acquire hepatitis C did so through unsafe injecting, 67 per cent (124,590) of them are no longer injecting drug users. Of the 227,306 people living with hepatitis C at the end of 2015, 25,000 (11%) were born overseas in a region of high prevalence, 15,910 (7%) contracted the virus through transfusion of unscreened blood and blood products, unsterile medical procedures, or mother-tochild transmission. These numbers, presented in the Reaching Out: Part 1 report from Hepatitis Australia, suggest that a vast majority of those who need to be reached for testing and treatment are not necessarily engaged with the usual services where such information is being disseminated.
drug injecting equipment: people who no longer inject drugs drug injecting equipment: people who currently inject drugs country of birth receipt of blood products prior to 1990 (Aus) & unsafe medical practices
The Reaching Out project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health. Its brief is to “develop and deliver general education and awareness on hepatitis C, available testing and treatment options to individuals with hepatitis C who have either not injected drugs or have done so in the past but no longer identify as a person who injects drugs.”.
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hepsa.asn.au The project does not suggest that people who inject drugs were any more or less deserving of access to treatment than any other group. Rather, it indicates that if Australia is to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030, there need to be ways of getting the test and treat message out to the diverse group of people who live with hepatitis C. Part one of the three-stage Reaching Out project looked at estimates and projections of people with hepatitis C in Australia as well as the demographics. (See infographic on previous page.) The report identified key non-injecting user communities who may have higher prevalence of hepatitis C. They include: • people who previously injected drugs; • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; • people born overseas in high prevalence and high disease burden countries and regions including Egypt, Pakistan, China, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America; • people who have received unsafe tattooing and/or body piercing; • gay and bisexual men who have HIV;
• people with bleeding disorders; • people with medically acquired hepatitis C; • children born to women with hepatitis C, and • other people with hepatitis C who may not be engaged in clinical care such as war veterans and people who use performance and image enhancing drugs. While the exact number of Australians living with hepatitis C who do not identify as a person who injects drugs is not known,
information suggests that the group is extremely diverse. The purpose of the report was to synthesise evidence which can be used to develop tailored communication and engagement strategies for these groups. Reaching Out Part Two, which looks at strategies for connecting people living with hepatitis C to clinical care, is also available and may be read online at issuu. com/hepatitisaustralia/ docs/reaching_out_ report_-_20170427_fina.
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Great reads for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples Yarning about hep c
Hepatitis NSW, Sydney, 2017. 31p.
Our online library catalogue contains a special collection of resources that focus on the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. They’re easy to find on the library home page (hepatitissa.asn.au/ library): just scroll down to “Quick Links’, click “Groups and settings” and then on “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples”. You’ll find a range of books, brochures, reports, YouTube videos and comics suitable for communities as well as service providers. Here are some examples of online resources that can be accessed via the catalogue. If you would like more information— or assistance in accessing these resources—please contact us at admin@ hepsa.asn.au.
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General info about: what hep c is, transmission, testing, treatment, prisons and hep c, mums and bubs, staying healthy etc. Beautifully illustrated with Aboriginal artwork. bit.ly/yarninabouthepc
Aboriginal people are disproportionately affected by hepatitis - we know why The Guardian, Sydney, 2016. 3p. “@IndigenousX host Heather McCormack talks about the factors that lead to high rates of viral hepatitis infection in Indigenous Australians and shares three key messages about testing and treatment.” bit.ly/atsi_affectedbyhepc
The little book of hep C facts Hepatitis SA, Adelaide, 2016. 38p. A neat little book containing basic hepatitis C facts in digestible chunks. This revised version is illustrated with indigenous art. issuu.com/hepccsa/docs/ littlebk_indig_spread2-low
HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 75 • November 2017
Digital futures in Indigenous communities: from health kiosks to community hubs Melbourne Networked Society Institute Research Paper 3-2016, Melbourne, 2016. 57p. This paper examines how to foster provision of culturally relevant information to Indigenous communities enabled by broadband connectivity. The research focuses upon the network of 70 touch screen kiosks installed at key community locations in remote, regional and urban communities operated by HITnet. bit.ly/atsidigfuture
Healthy spirit, healthy community: a guide to drugs and alcohol within our community Alcohol and Drug Foundation, Melbourne, 2016. 47p. Contains information for Aboriginal communities about a variety of drugs (including alcohol) and how to reduce the harms of drugs. Also contains information about pregnancy and breastfeeding. bit.ly/guide_drugs_alcohol
Nyuntumpa alu wiru kanyinma: love your liver Hepatitis SA & Aboriginal Health Council SA, Adelaide, 2014. 14p. Brief information about Hepatitis B and keeping your liver healthy - in Pitjantjatjara and English. Intended for use by health workers with their clients. bit.ly/nyuntumpa Our healing ways: putting wisdom into practice. Working with mental health & drug and alcohol issues Victorian Dual Diagnosis Initiative, Melbourne, 2012. 87p.
Keeping our mob healthy in and out of prison Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), Melbourne, 2015. 49p. “With large numbers of Aboriginal people moving in and out of the prison system, a strong relationship should exist between prison health services and prisoners’ community health and mental health provider... Aboriginal Community Controlled health Organisations (ACCHOs) plays a big part in improving quality of life and improving poor health and mental health outcomes by providing a holistic, healing health service.”
“Explores working from an Aboriginal best practice perspective. The manual takes into account the complexities involved with working with community often with dual relationships with clients. It is a celebration and validation of the enormous skill set required for this work”. bit.ly/2AGXaGR
Meet O’Liver: ngayalu ini O’livernya Hepatitis SA, Adelaide, 2014. 10p. Learn about your liver: information aimed at children about what the liver does and how to keep it happy... in Pitjantjatjara (bi-lingual with English). Pictures coloured in by children from the Yalata Anangu School. issuu.com/hepccsa/docs/ meet_oliver_pitjantjatjara_ web For free print copies email admin@hepsa.asn.au
bit.ly/healthy_prison
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Overdose Day 2017 Remembering the lost
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he last day of August is International Overdose Awareness Day: a day to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of drug-related death. It is also a day to acknowledge the grief that families and friends experience when overdose causes the death of a loved one, or causes permanent injury. It is a day to remember those we have lost to overdose.
squares were memorials to individual lives lost. Because so many people’s lives have been affected by overdose in some way, I’m sure that each person that contributed to the quilt had someone in mind as they were making their quilt square. The quilt is a memorial to all people, known and unknown,
This year the Hepatitis SA Clean Needle Program (CNP) Peer Project invited our community to participate in making a quilt that would be an ongoing memorial to loved ones who had lost their lives to overdose. Squares of fabric and sewing materials were provided to Clean Needle Program clients, Hepatitis SA staff, volunteers and other community members to make their quilt squares and return them on completion. We held had a ‘sewing day’ at Hepatitis SA and held a sewing workshop at Mission Australia Hindmarsh for CNP clients. Some squares acknowledged lives lost in general while other
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whose lives have been affected by overdose. The memorial quilt measures over a square metre, and is made up of 27 squares. It will spend time on the wall of each of the peer staffed Clean Needle Program sites, including Hepatitis SA at Hackney. Carol Holly
Useful Services & Contacts Hepatitis SA Free education sessions, printed information, telephone information and support, referrals, clean needle program and library. (08) 8362 8443 admin@hepatitissa.asn.au www.hepsa.asn.au Hepatitis SA Helpline 1800 437 222 (cost of a local call) Adelaide Dental Hospital A specially funded clinic provides priority dental care for people with hepatitis C with a Health Care Card. Call Hepatitis SA on 1800 437 222 for a referral. beyondblue Mental health information line
Hutt St Centre Showers, laundry facilities, visiting health professionals, recreation activities, education and training, legal aid and assistance services provided to the homeless.
P.E.A.C.E. HIV and hepatitis education and support for people from nonEnglish speaking backgrounds.
258 Hutt St, Adelaide SA 5000 (08) 8418 2500
SA Sex Industry Network Promotes the health, rights and wellbeing of sex workers.
Lifeline National, 24-hour telephone counselling service.
(08) 8351 7626
13 11 14 (cost of a local call) www.lifeline.org.au
SAMESH South Australia Mobilisation + Empowerment for Sexual Health www.samesh.org.au
Mental Health Crisis Service 24 hour information and crisis line available to all rural, remote and metropolitan callers. 13 14 65
1300 224 636 www.beyondblue.org.au
MOSAIC Counselling Service For anyone whose life is affected by hepatitis.
Clean Needle Programs in SA For locations visit the Hepatitis SA Hackney office or call the Alcohol and Drug Information Service.
(08) 8223 4566
1300 131 340 Community Access & Services SA Alcohol and drug education; clean needle program for the Vietnamese and other communities. (08) 8447 8821 headspace Mental health issues are common. Find information, support and help at your local headspace centre 1800 650 890 www.headspace.org.au
Nunkuwarrin Yunti An Aboriginal-controlled, citybased health service with clean needle program and liver clinic.
(08) 8245 8100
Youth Health Service Free, confidential health service for youth aged 12 to 25. Youth Helpline: 1300 13 17 19 Parent Helpline: 1300 364 100 Vincentian Centre Men’s night shelter run by St Vincent de Paul Society. Assistance hotline: 1300 729 202
(08) 8406 1600 Viral Hepatitis Community Nurses Care and assistance, education, streamlined referrals, patient support, work-up for HCV treatment, monitoring and follow-ups. Clients can self-refer. Contact nurses directly for an appointment. Central
Margery - 0423 782 415 margery.milner@sa.gov.au Jeff - 0401 717 953 North
Lucy - 0401 717 971 Trish - 0413 285 476 South
Rosalie - 0466 777 876 rosalie.altus@sa.gov.au Emma - 0466 777 873
Free Blood-Borne Virus Training for the
Hair & Beauty Industry
Sessions cover a range of topics, including:
People who work in the hair and beauty industry may come into contact with blood. Learn about blood-borne viruses and blood exposure in our free workforce education sessions. Be blood aware!
• Basic rules of viral hepatitis • Transmission risks/myths • Best practice around blood • Dealing with a blood exposure Cost: Free Duration: 1 hour Where: In-service, we will come to you How: Contact us to book in a suitable date/time Contact the Education Team on 8362 8443 or email education@hepsa.asn.au
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HEPATITIS SA COMMUNITY NEWS 75 • November 2017
Photo: CC flickr.com/photos/harrynguyen
