NEWS & RESOURCES

The HERS Project Success. SiREN worked alongside Sexual Health Quarters (SHQ) and the Association for Services to Trauma Survivors on The HERS Project, which was recently featured in ABC News Perth. The project saw the development, delivery and evaluation of a sexual and reproductive health program for young women from migrant and refugee backgrounds. The program involved sexual and reproductive health education, team-building activities, small group discussions and guest speakers. Earlier this year, the HERS Project was awarded the Large Organisation Achievement Award at the YACWA WA Youth Awards 2021. 

World AIDS Day. On December 1st each year, World AIDS Day is held to raise awareness and show support for people living with HIV and commemorate those who have died. This year, UNAIDS has designated the theme 'End inequalities. End AIDS. End pandemics' to reflect the growing list of challenges that stand in the way of eliminating AIDS. Evidently, there is a critical need to act beyond awareness raining, and address the issues that cause inequalities, such as stigma and discrimination, to further the HIV response. Read more about the campaign. 

Efforts to Eliminate Hepatitis C in Australia Boosted by $6.5 Million Investment in Game-Changing Testing Program. The Kirby Institute. The Australian Government Department of Health has awarded $6.5 million to the Kirby Institute at UNSW and the International Centre for Point-of-Care Testing (POC) at Flinders University. This grant will establish a national program to scale up hepatitis C POC testing, which will be able to confirm active infection within 60 minutes. Currently, it takes about a week to receive a test result. Increasing testing and treatment uptake will be essential to achieve the goal set by the World Health Organization to eliminate hepatitis C infection as a major global public health threat by 2030. View the media release for more information. 

Liver Healthy Life. HepatitisWA has developed a five-part podcast series that aims to engage and increase hepatitis awareness by presenting individual life stories. Hear from individuals and community leaders from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds that work in the sector, or have been diagnosed with Hepatitis B. 

EmbraceU. SHQ and WAAC. EmbraceU is a digital information and resource platform for transgender, gender diverse and non-binary people, and professionals working in the sexual health and drug and alcohol sectors. The information provided aims to improve outcomes for transgender, gender diverse and non-binary people in relation to STIs and BBVs. To ensure the content is inclusive and appropriate, SHQ invites feedback from transgender, non-binary or gender diverse people via a short survey. Community and health professionals are also invited to share their thoughts via a short survey.

WAAC New Branding and Opportunities. The WA AIDS Council have rebranded as WAAC, reflecting the broad spectrum of communities around sexual, mental and social health that WAAC work with. Behind WAAC's new look are months of community consultation, and a new vision of striving for healthy people who are included and connected in their communities. Visit the new WAAC website to find out more.

Special Issue "Migration, Population Mobility and Public Health: Focus on Vulnerable and Marginalised Populations." The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health will be publishing a special issue on migration, population mobility, and public health, guest-edited by SiREN team and network members Dr. Gemma Crawford, Dr. Roanna Lobo, Dr. Daniel Vujcich, and Dr. Horas Wong. The issue will explore the scope, complexity, and impact on health of between country migration and population mobility. Submissions are encouraged from researchers with lived experience and submissions which highlight the voices of those who are affected by migration and population mobility, particularly studies with a focus on co-design and emancipatory approaches. Find out more about the special issue and make a submission here.

CONFERENCES

Australian Social Policy Conference 2021. UNSW Social Policy Research Centre. This conference is about issues of social policy in Australia and beyond. It provides a forum for leading national and international researchers and analysts from government and community social welfare sectors in Australia and internationally to present their research findings and debate their implications. Abstract submissions closed. October, 25 - November, 5. Online. 

LGBTIQ Women’s Health Online Conference. ACON and Thorne Harbour Health. The conference theme is ‘Our Health Matters.’ Presentations will reflect the pressing health issues concerning rich and diverse women’s communities, such as sexual and gender identity, sexual health, mental health, violence and safety, tobacco and drug use, alcohol consumption, cancer screening and more. November, 7 - 10. Online.

APSAD Scientific Drug and Alcohol Conference. Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol & other Drugs. The conference brings together the alcohol and other drugs sector to highlight new research and promote the use of best practice approaches in the prevention, early intervention and treatment of alcohol and other drug problems. Abstract submissions closed. November, 7 - 11. Online. 

Aboriginal Health Conference. Rural Health West. The conference celebrates culture, strengths and successes in Aboriginal health, reflects on past achievements and will discuss how we can address future challenges. The conference will provide a space to rejoice and reconnect with colleagues after a challenging year in terms of environmental impacts and the COVID-19 pandemic. November, 20 - 21. Perth, Western Australia. 

13th Australasian Viral Hepatitis Conference. Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine. This conference supports the health workforce, government and community to work towards the elimination of hepatitis B and hepatitis C and supporting the communities living with these conditions in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia and Pacific regions. Abstract submissions close 4 December 2021. May, 29 - 31. Brisbane, Queensland. 

TRAINING & SEMINARS

SiREN Short Courses. SiREN has launched a new pilot program of free online training modules designed to support those working in the WA sexual health and blood-borne virus sector. Available on-demand, these modules will build your capabilities in health promotion planning and evaluation. These modules will suit you if you are new to public health and to applying a health promotion lens to sexual health and blood-borne viruses, or if you are interested in refreshing your skills and knowledge in this area. The training is open to those working WA only. Enrol now!

Imagining and remaking PrEP after COVID-19: an evidence-making intervention perspective. Centre for Social Research in Health. This seminar will explore approaches to improving uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV acquisition in the context of COVID-19. The seminar will be presented by Professor Martin Holt, who has a strong background in HIV prevention, particularly with gay and bisexual men. He leads the Gay Community Periodic Surveys and the PrEPARE Project, a long term study of community attitudes to biomedical HIV prevention. October, 20. Online. 

Evaluation and value for money: an approach using rubrics and mixed methods. Australian Evaluation Society. This workshop provides practical guidance, underpinned by a sound theoretical framework, for evaluating value for money. It focuses on unpacking a process of explicit evaluative reasoning (using rubrics) and the use of mixed methods (qualitative, quantitative, and economic). Online. October, 20 and 27. Online.

Stigma and the structure of health systems. UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health. As part of the Spotlight on Stigma series, this webinar will explore the organisation and structure of health systems. An expert panel will discuss how these organisational and structural factors can produce stigma and will provide participants with tools for tackling stigma within health systems. Online. October, 21. 

HIV Case Discussion​  - HIV s100 Prescriber Update With a Focus on Women Living With HIV. ASHM. This course is an opportunity for HIV s100 Prescribers to receive an update in topics relevant to the management of people living ​with HIV, discuss their cases with a specialist and peers, and network with other s100 prescribers. Online. October, 25.

Burnet Kirby Report Launch: Australia’s progress towards hepatitis C elimination. Burnet Institute and Kirby Institute. The webinar launches Australia’s progress towards hepatitis C elimination report. The report compiles key data to provide an overview of Australia's progress in key areas including trends in new infections, testing and diagnosis, treatment uptake and outcomes, morbidity, stigma and discrimination, primary prevention, equity, mathematical and economic modelling. Online. October, 27. 

Curing Hepatitis C in Primary Care. ASHM. This course provides general practitioners, nurse practitioners and other prescribing practitioners the skills and confidence to diagnose, assess, manage and treat HCV in primary care. Online. October, 30. 

SHARE Forum. SHQ. SHARE is a network designed for those working with young people regarding sexual health. SHARE aims to provide regular support, through meetings, so workers can better support and educate young people they work with. This forum will be about periods for young people. If you are interested in sharing your work, a project, resources or anything similar please contact Stephen. November, 2. Northbridge or online. 

Grant Applications and Finding Funding. Government of Western Australia, Child and Adolescent Health Services. This seminar covers where and how to find grant opportunities and strategies for putting together a high-quality grant application. It also focuses on understanding the grant review process, and how to submit and respond to reviewer comments. Option to attend the live seminar at Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands and other locations around WA, or online. November, 5. 

STARS. SHQ. STARS is a two-day introductory course to help build knowledge and confidence to Start Talking About Relationships and Sexual health with young Aboriginal people. STARS is designed for Aboriginal community members and others working with young Aboriginal people. November, 16 & 17. Northbridge.

Sexual Health in Primary Care. ASHM. This two-part workshop will provide primary care providers with the information and tools required to improve STI screening and care for at-risk and key affected populations. The online workshops will also cover strategies available for the prevention of HIV transmission and highlight the importance of contact tracing and partner notification. December, 1 & 2. Online. 

STIs In WA Primary Care - Online Module. SHQ. The course is intended to provide primary health care professionals with comprehensive education about discussing STIs with patients, and testing for and managing STIs. It includes public health responsibilities and legal issues and recommends useful online resources for ongoing use. Access anytime. Online.

Syphilis Outbreak Training. ASHM. Professional development training is now available for health practitioners affected by the ongoing outbreak of infectious syphilis among young Aboriginal people in regions of Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia.  The training can be accessed anytime on the ASHM Online Learning System under STI/BBVs in the course catalogue. An ASHM login is required.

Introduction to Syphilis for Midwives: Western Australia. ASHM. This course is for Western Australian midwives, to develop their skills to confidently discuss sexual health with patients, conduct guideline-based syphilis screening and testing, health pathway of pregnancy in syphilis, and initiate contact tracing. The training can be accessed anytime on the ASHM Online Learning System by searching 'Syphilis for Midwives' in the course catalogue. An ASHM login is required.

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Health Workforce Scholarship Program. Rural Health West. The program provides scholarships and bursaries to help health professionals in remote and rural Australia retain and enhance their skills, capacity and scope of practice. Funding is available to professionals who provide primary care services in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services sector, private practice or non-government organisations in rural and remote WA. Applications close October 27. Click here for more information.