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Parliament House – Liam speaks about peer workers and hep C elimination
“WE CAN achieve 100% elimination. Let’s make history, so hep C in Australia is just that, history…“
Tuesday 2 September, Liam, Hepatitis NSW Peer Programs Coordinator, spoke at Parliament House, Canberra. Below Liam talks, in his own words, about the event.
The World Hepatitis Day event, hosted by Hepatitis Australia at National Parliament, Canberra, was a great opportunity to hear from federal politicians, key stakeholders and sector champions. Chief medical officer Michael Kidd gave an excellent speech about reducing stigma and person-centered care for all people.
I talked about the effectiveness of lived experience peers in providing non-stigmatising healthcare through the value of meeting people where they’re at – how peers create bridges through redefined connection between community and health professionals increasing service uptake and removal of barriers.
Noting that peer workers are healthcare workers, the need for continual investment is clear, critical and ever present, as is developing a modern peer workforce with an increasing capacity to be involved in each part of the fight to eliminate viral hepatitis in Australia and having this as a prerequisite – something accepted and assumed, not resisted or dismissed.
This development needs greater attention on priority populations, requiring focused recruitment of culturally safe peer workers, creation of prison-based peer initiatives, funding of anti-stigma campaigns with reach beyond those already involved and remuneration congruent to the specialised skills and services provided by peers.
Lived expertise is integral in the planning and implementation of policy and practice relative to all work being done in the viral hepatitis space and the potential of peer workers exists wholly in the opportunities provided to us. Career pathways cannot be limited to only speaking to or for our communities.
The difference between public heath targets and real-life elimination.
If we do not drive a narrative of 100% elimination, then those affected will be the same groups who are always left behind or excluded. All are someone’s loved one or friend, all have the right to be free from the burden of hep C.
Ending the fight at 90% proposes a potential growth in future demand for treatment, spikes in associated illness and death, along with increased costs to healthcare.
All the necessary pieces are in easy reach. WE CAN achieve 100% elimination. Let’s make history, so hep C in Australia is just that, history…
This article was written by Liam, Hepatitis NSW Peer Programs Coordinator
Liam left, pictured with Hepatitis NSW CEO, Steven R Drew.
