‘HepLink DBS and the Power of Peers’ at NADA’s Newcastle Forum

The Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies (NADA) held a cross-sector forum in Newcastle on 25 March, with presentations covering health promotion, harm reduction, early intervention, treatment, and continuing care programs. 

Hepatitis NSW’s staff Grace (Program Manager), Gracey (HepLink DBS Project Officer) and Kiah (peer worker) attended the forum, with Grace and Gracey presenting on “HepLink DBS and the Power of Peers”. They explained our new HepLink DBS project and how it can help with elimination of hepatitis C within priority populations. Dried Blood Spot (DBS) tests are a fast, simple RNA test which can be given by our trained lived experience peer workers.

The presentation talked about barriers people can face that prevent them from seeking treatment for hep C, including stigma, discrimination, and poor linkage to care. The peer-led approach of HepLink DBS helps overcome these barriers by bringing quick, simple hep C testing to the community. Hepatitis NSW’s many years of peer-based work in the community, across numerous projects and sites, has shown that peer workers quickly build and foster trust with community participants. With HepLink DBS, a peer worker can also support people who get a positive result, with their consent, by maintaining contact throughout their treatment journey.  

The nature of the project means that we can go into small or medium-sized community sites that are often not accessible for other testing outreach. Since its launch in February 2025, the project has already tested 70 people across three sites. 

HepLink DBS is funded by a grant from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care through Hepatitis Australia.

HepLink DBS Outreach Testing at Glebe and Woy Woy

After successfully launching our first clinic in partnership with the ACON NSP in Surry Hills, HepLink DBS is now conducting outreach events with great results. On 19 March, we visited the Glebe Assistance Partnership Program (GAPP) at St John’s Anglican Church in Glebe. On 4 April, we headed up to Mary Mac’s Place in Woy Woy.

The event in Glebe had a flurry of activity, with 15 people being tested over an intense two-hour session. The Woy Woy event was even busier with 37 people tested. The GAPP and Mary Mac’s staff and volunteers were especially welcoming and helpful, assisting with connecting our team to community members. They were very impressed with our preparation and organisation that resulted in a smooth operation. Special thanks to all our amazing peer workers for their incredible work!

For more information on HepLink DBS and how we might be able to test at your service, please contact:  

Gracey Woods, HepLink DBS Project Officer 
[email protected] 
0457 982 513 

The HepLink DBS 414 Pop-Up Clinic is open on Mondays from 10am to 1pm at the ACON NSP at 414 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills. Anyone accessing the ACON NSP is eligible for testing.

Hepatitis C Point of Care Testing at Bathurst

Our Peer Programs Project Officer JD and Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer Maia joined the team from Justice Health for a four-day high intensity testing campaign at the Bathurst Correctional Centre from 17 to 20 March.

The team delivered hepatitis C Point of Care Testing (POCT) to people in custody. This forms part of our ongoing commitment to identifying and treating hepatitis C within this priority setting.

The session included talking to people about phoning our Infoline, where they could get more information about getting tested and receiving treatment from our team while in custody. This resulted in a noticeable uptick in calls to our Infoline.

This event is part of the Hepatitis NSW Peer Partnership Program, which carries out work across the majority of NSW’s Local Health Districts. This is done with the help of our amazing partner organisations and involves a variety of on-site and outreach events.

Vietnamese Hepatitis B Education in Cabravale

Hepatitis NSW held a Vietnamese Hepatitis B education session at the Cabravale Senior Citizens Centre on 19 March. Our Hepatitis B and Multicultural Liver Health Project Officer, Mina, presented with the help of a Vietnamese speaking worker.

The 20 participants are members of a Vietnamese Seniors Group that holds weekly meetings at the venue. Guest speakers are regularly invited to share information about topics such as health, art, and community and government services.

Mina provided a slide presentation with important information about hepatitis B testing and liver health checks. The Vietnamese worker translated and explained the information to the attendees, then translated their questions and Mina’s answers.

This session on liver health and hepatitis B will soon be followed up with a LiverCare hepatitis B testing event for this group.

Hepatitis B Writing Competition 2025

Were you born in Africa, the Pacific Islands or the Philippines? Are you living with hepatitis B? Share your personal story about hepatitis B and you could win a prize!

Hepatitis NSW is holding a second Hepatitis B Writing Competition, after the very successful competition in 2021.

Stories will be chosen because they help raise awareness of general hepatitis B knowledge and the importance of regular hepatitis B monitoring.

See our website page Hepatitis B Writing Competition 2025 for more details on eligibility and how to enter. You can also download the Hep B writing competition poster.

Hepatitis NSW connecting with Murrumbidgee LHD

Emma, our Custody to Community Project Officer at Hepatitis NSW, was recently deployed for a month to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital for NSW Health.

I am very grateful to Hepatitis NSW for allowing me to embark on a unique opportunity to strengthen my professional skills in a four-week deployment to Murrumbidgee Local Health District (LHD).

While there, I worked as a social worker in the High and Low Dependency Mental Health Inpatient Units at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital. I collaborated with various members of the treating team and external stakeholders to deliver effective support to patients within an acute mental health inpatient setting. I also provided interventions for patients on housing, Centrelink, Mental Health Review Tribunal (IPO/CTO) hearings, access to identification, and family meetings.

I also reached out to the staff at the Sexual Health and Hepatitis Service Centre and saw and heard about the extraordinary efforts and contributions that our NSW Health partners are making to the lives of people with hepatitis in this community.

I was given a tour of all things sexual health including the NSP Shopping Room by Valia, a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Sexual Health. I was delighted to see the HEP CURED campaign displayed so prominently and beautifully on the walls.

I also met with Kate, a Clinical Nurse Specialist 2 in Hepatitis C and Refugee Health. She spoke about the challenges and opportunities that this region faces in the hepatitis B and C space, and how Hepatitis NSW can continue to support her and the team in delivering more positive engagement opportunities to these communities.

Overall, my time in Wagga Wagga was rewarding both professionally and personally, as I got to see the positive impact that Hepatitis NSW is having on regional health services.

World Liver Day

World Liver Day on 19 April 2025 is a day to come together to advocate for liver health worldwide.

The liver is often overlooked, even though it is the body’s second-largest organ. It is responsible for over 500 essential functions in the body, from detoxifying harmful substances to breaking down the nutrients of the foods you eat; the liver acts as the filter for the whole body.

The Hepatitis NSW website liver health page explains why the liver is important, how it can be damaged, and how to care for it. The good news is treatment for hepatitis C is easy and many people are already cured. If you have hepatitis B, regular check-ups and treatment, if needed, can help you to live a long, healthy life.

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