HepLink NSW Connects at the National Indigenous Healthcare Forum 2026

The National Indigenous Healthcare Forum 2026 was held on 5–7 August on Eora/Gadigal Country in Sydney, bringing together healthcare professionals, researchers and community leaders to explore the future of Indigenous health and wellbeing.

Organised by the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW (AH&MRC), the forum highlighted the importance of community-led solutions, holistic approaches to social and emotional wellbeing, and addressing the structural barriers that continue to impact health equity.

Hepatitis NSW was excited to attend the forum, sharing hepatitis information and resources while connecting with community leaders and health professionals from across the country. The event provided a valuable opportunity to raise awareness, strengthen relationships and support culturally appropriate health information and engagement within First Nations communities.

Key discussions at the Forum focused on strengthening the Indigenous healthcare workforce, improving chronic disease and cancer care, culturally responsive mental health support, digital health, community-sovereign research, and holistic approaches to caring for Elders.

The Forum was an important opportunity to share knowledge, build connections and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led approaches to better health outcomes.

VH2026

Hepatitis NSW was well represented at the 2026 Viral Hepatitis Conference in Fremantle/Walyalup, WA in August. Our presence extended to delivering presentations, participating in, and chairing a number of program sessions, as well as speaking as part of an interactive poster presentation session.

Our Hepatitis B Programs Manager, Kyle, presented on the successes of LiverCare, at the Conference. LiverCare is our comprehensive liver health screening program and offers multicultural communities hep B and hep C rapid point-of-care testing as well as FibroScan access. His presentation highlighted our commitment to culturally competent care and the importance of taking healthcare to communities in places that work for them. Hepatitis NSW is excited by this work and our partnerships with the Kirby Institute, local health districts, community groups and hepatology nurses that make it possible.

LiverCare has reached more than 400 people across Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, Tongan and Korean communities, with more outreach planned over the coming months.

We have recently expanded our Hep B and Liver Health team with the appointment of an ongoing Vietnamese project officer role, and a HepLink Australia funded, 12-month Filipino community project officer position.

Breaking through the Cascade of Scare at VH2026

Hepatitis NSW’s Grace presented her poster, ‘Breaking through the “Cascade of Scare”: Peer-led community hepatitis C testing and treatment navigation through HepLink DBS’, at this year’s Viral Hepatitis Conference in Fremantle/Walyalup. The poster was featured as part of a guided poster tour, giving Grace an opportunity to discuss the work with conference delegates.

Grace highlighted that peer-led hep C Dried Blood Spot (DBS) testing reaches people who may not easily access mainstream health services, including people experiencing unstable housing, incarceration, stigma, mental health concerns, and/or limited contact options. The presentation outlined how trusted peer workers help reduce fear, explain testing and treatment, support consent and follow-up, and connect people with clinical partners for confirmatory testing and treatment.

Examples of persistence and partnership in action were provided, including follow-up through community services, treatment support after custody, and re-engagement with people who were unsure about starting treatment. Despite challenges including lost phones, unstable housing and delayed notifications, HepLink DBS supported seven of the 11 people diagnosed as hep C RNA positive to commence treatment.

The presentation reinforced the value of community-led, peer-supported models in turning hep C elimination goals into practical action, and in ensuring people are not left behind after testing.

You can see the poster >>>here

Taking Hepatitis C Testing and Treatment to Regional Communities

A four-day regional outreach visit brought hep C testing and treatment support to communities across southern NSW including Eden, Bega, Queanbeyan and Goulburn.

The visit was part of a program funded by Gilead Sciences through an independent grant, supporting increased access to hep C testing and treatment in regional communities delivered by lived-experience peer workers and Aboriginal workers.

Working with hospitals, community health services, residential alcohol and other drug programs, and community partners, the team aimed to make testing more accessible and strengthen pathways from testing through to treatment.

Activities included community events in Eden and at Bega Hospital, followed by outreach at the Killard Centre in Queanbeyan, Market Street residential support service and Goulburn Community Health Centre. The final event was with members of the local Aboriginal community and nearby rehabilitation services. A popular visit, this event recorded the highest testing activity. Most screening used dried blood spot (DBS) testing.

Participants received a $25 EFTPOS card as an incentive for testing, with approximately 100 tests completed across the outreach trip.

Strong local partnerships were central to the outreach. Local health workers connected our visiting lived experience peer workers with their communities and helped organise welcoming and successful events. The outreach combined peer-led education, accessible testing and community engagement, while building relationships that can support ongoing hep C testing and treatment in regional communities.

“YOU CAN’T GET HEP B HERE!”

As part of the You Can’t Get Hep B Here campaign, Hepatitis NSW hosted a special Hep B Dinner for Vietnamese Community Leaders on 6 August at Bach Dang Restaurant in Canley Vale as a final event in our annual Hepatitis Awareness Week calendar.

The evening brought together more than 40 community leaders and advocates for a night of laughter, learning and connection. At the heart of the event were our dedicated Vietnamese community workers: My Linh welcomed guests and shared Vietnamese-language hep B resources and posters; Van worked behind the scenes to bring community leaders together; and Tam, dressed in a beautiful pink áo dài, emceed the evening and engaged guests with a fun hep B quiz.

One of the highlights of the night was Tam’s creative performance with a guitarist. Together, they adapted the lyrics of a well-known Vietnamese song to share messages about the five hepatitis viruses, with a focus on hep B. As many guests knew the melody, the audience soon joined in, turning health education into a shared community experience.

We were honoured to be joined by Dai Le MP, Federal Member for Fowler; Lien Tran from Hep B Voice, who travelled from Melbourne. Our CEO, Steven Drew, thanked the Vietnamese community for its passion, leadership and commitment to improving community health.

The event generated enthusiastic feedback, with many attendees encouraging Hepatitis NSW to hold similar gatherings in the future, including in Sydney’s inner west. More importantly, the evening highlighted the strong trust and partnership that Hepatitis NSW has built with the Vietnamese community over several years.

It was a memorable night that celebrated community leadership, culture, and collaboration, and we look forward to continuing this important work together.

Keeping Connected with Hep NSW Members in Prison

At Hepatitis NSW, we are committed to supporting all our members and communities, ensuring everyone can access hepatitis information and support, including people who may have limited access to online resources.

As part of our commitment, we recently mailed around 300 copies of the first ever print edition of The Champion (winter edition) to Hepatitis NSW members in prison across NSW. As well as The Champion we also included a FINCOL information sheet. 

Printed resources help members in custody stay informed about hepatitis, and learn how to access Hepatitis NSW support and services.

This is one of the ways we stay connected with our members and reach people who may otherwise miss out on important health information. 

We plan to publish a new printed edition of The Champion every three months, helping keep our members in prison informed, connected and supported.

You can read our print version of The Champion>>>here

Community Advisory Panel. Call for Applications

The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), a United Nations-backed public health organisation, is inviting community representatives to apply for its Community Advisory Panel.

This voluntary three-year role is a chance for people with lived experience, or those connected to affected communities, to help shape work on access to affordable medicines and health technologies.

MPP is seeking people affected by cardio-metabolic diseases, cancer, sickle-cell disease, malaria or viral hepatitis, especially from low- and middle-income countries.

Applications close 30 November 2026 and are reviewed on a rolling basis.

For details and to apply, visit the MPP Community Advisory Panel call for applications.

More People can get Hepatitis Treatment Closer to Home

A welcome change will make it easier for people in our communities to get hep B and hepatitis C treatment.

The Australian Government has removed a special rule that limited which doctors could prescribe hep B medicines through the PBS Section 100 program. This means more doctors can now provide hep B treatment.

Nurse prescribers can also now prescribe hep C medicines through the same program.

This is especially important for people who have found it hard to get care in the past. Having more prescribers means people may be able to start treatment sooner, with support from a health worker they already know and trust.

ASHM, Hepatitis Australia and other health organisations have worked together to support this change. It is an important step towards making hepatitis care fairer, easier to access and closer to home.

ASHM will keep offering training and support for health workers. This change only applies to hep B prescribing. HIV medicines still have separate prescribing rules.

Further information can be found on the ASHM website.

Please note this change only impacts hep B prescribing. HIV medications still require completion of ASHM’s HIV s100 Prescriber Course and CPD requirements to prescribe.  

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