24 July 2018
World Hepatitis Day Oration: Renewed Calls for Needle & Syringe Program in ACT Prison
World Hepatitis Day takes place every year on the 28th of July. The theme for 2018 was ‘Finding The Missing Millions’. Worldwide, 300 million people live with viral hepatitis unaware. Without finding the undiagnosed and linking them to care, millions will continue to suffer, and lives will be lost. AIVL has called on government to ensure that people in custodial settings are not forgotten within this context.
Former ACT Health Minister and outgoing President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations, Michael Moore AM, has renewed calls for a Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) in the ACT’s prison when he delivered the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) World Hepatitis Day Oration. Media release can be found here
AIVL is the national organisation representing people who use/have used illicit drugs and is the peak body for the state and territory peer-based drug user organisations.