Hepatitis C: A cure for all? A special World Hepatitis Day event

Ms Nicky Bath, ACON

Nicky Bath is currently the Associate Director, LGBTI Health Programming and Development at ACON,  the New South Wales based health promotion organisation specialising in HIV prevention, HIV support and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) health. Nicky has worked in the NSW Ministry of Health as the Manager of the Harm Reduction and Viral Hepatitis Branch as well as several senior positions in both State and Territory drug user organisations and the National Health Service (UK). Nicky is committed to advancing the health and human rights of marginalised communities.

Dr Kerry Chant, NSW Health

Dr Kerry Chant leads the Population and Public Health Division which has accountabilities for a broad portfolio of issues, including tobacco control, reduction of risk drinking and obesity, the promotion of physical activity, end of life care and organ donation.  She has a particular interest in the response to HIV, hepatitis C and hepatitis B and Aboriginal Health.

Professor Greg Dore, Kirby Institute

Professor Greg Dore is Head, Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, and Infectious Diseases Physician, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, Australia. He has been involved in viral hepatitis and HIV epidemiological and clinical research, clinical care and public health policy for 20 years. He has developed extensive national and international collaborations, and is internationally recognized in the areas of HCV natural history and epidemiology, therapeutic strategies for acute and chronic HCV infection, particularly among people who inject drugs, and HCV elimination strategies.

He holds large-scale ongoing public sector research funding from U.S. National Institutes for Health and Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Professor Dore has been President of the Australasian Society for HIV Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM), a member of NHMRC Council, and is a NHMRC Practitioner Fellow.

Professor Dore established the St Vincent’s Hospital viral hepatitis service in 1999, and has led its development into one of the leading national and international hepatitis C treatment services, with a particular focus on marginalised populations including people who inject drugs and homeless persons.

Ms Mary-Ellen Harrod, NUAA

Mary Ellen Harrod is the CEO of the NSW Users and AIDS Association (NUAA). She is also on the Treasurer of the Board of the Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) and is a member of the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD). Her previous work in public health research had a strong focus on capacity development, community engagement and ethical research practice and she is committed to community self-determination and empowerment as the basis for advancing the health and human rights of people who use drugs.

Professor Andrew Lloyd, Kirby Institute

Professor Andrew Lloyd is an infectious diseases physician and immunovirology researcher at the Kirby Institute. He is an NHMRC Practitioner Fellow. Over many years in conjunction with the Justice health & Forensic Mental Health Network, he has led the development of the Hepatitis Service in the NSW prisons. He was awarded an Australia Medal (AM) for this work, and for his research achievements in infectious diseases.

Mr Stuart Loveday, Hepatitis NSW

Stuart Loveday is the CEO of Hepatitis NSW, Australia’s first and largest community based organisation and health promotion charity working for and on behalf of people with viral hepatitis. He is a former President and was a founder and continuous executive board member of Hepatitis Australia from 1997 to 2013.

Having served on a range of national Australian hepatitis committees and working parties since 1994, Stuart represents Hepatitis NSW on the NSW Ministry of Health’s Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Strategies Implementation Committee, serves on the Board of the NSW Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network and on a range of other national and NSW hepatitis advisory, governance and research committees.  He is currently President of the Board of the Community Restorative Centre, a highly regarded and effective not-for-profit charity in NSW supporting people returning from NSW prisons to the broader community.

Stuart has a strong interest in improved and equitable community access to hepatitis C and B management and treatment in Australia and contributes extensively to advocacy for evidence-based harm reduction policy and practice in illicit drug settings and in prison. Since the advent of direct acting antiviral (DAA) treatment therapies for people with hep C, Stuart has been a passionate driver of the work to bring about elimination of hepatitis C in Australia. He has written for a wide range of publications and education resources.

Ms Annie Madden, Centre for Social Research in Health

Annie Madden is currently a PhD candidate at UNSW and a Community Engagement & Liaison Officer and Research Assistant at the Centre for Social Research in Health (CSRH) also at UNSW. Prior to commencing her PhD and positions at CSRH, Annie was the Executive Officer of the Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) for 16 years until April 2016. She was also the Executive Officer of the NSW Users & AIDS Association (NUAA) from 1994 to 2000. She is a founding member and current Board member of Harm Reduction Australia, is well published and has held numerous high-level appointments. Annie has dedicated her entire professional career to promoting the health and human rights of people who use and inject illicit drugs and people in drug treatment. 

Professor Carla Treloar, Centre for Social Research in Health

Professor Carla Treloar is Director of the Centre for Social Research in Health and the Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Australia.  Carla has worked in the hepatitis  sector for more than 15 years as a social researcher. She has been a member of the NSW and Australian Ministerial Advisory Committees and numerous advisory committees for government, health agencies and non-government organisations.