Thursday 31 August 2023

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Evidence Brief: Supervised Injecting Facilities

The accumulated global evidence suggests that supervised injecting facilities play a significant role in preventing drug-related deaths and associated harm. Evidence shows how supervised injecting facilities can address health and social challenges associated with drug dependence, benefiting both individuals and communities at large. Evidence presented in this document demonstrates a clear need for a new facility in Melbourne's CBD.


Thursday 21 January 2021

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COVID-19 vaccine acceptability among people who inject drugs in Melbourne

The Burnet Institute surveyed a sample of people who inject drugs recruited from needle and syringe programs across metropolitan Melbourne to explore COVID-19 vaccine acceptability. This bulletin presents preliminary findings describing the responses to these questions.


Wednesday 29 April 2020

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Burnet to advise on ACT safe injecting facility

Burnet Institute has been commissioned to investigate whether a medically-supervised safe injecting facility, which could include a drug testing service, should be established in Canberra.


Wednesday 30 October 2019

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Nasal naloxone wins PBS approval

Burnet Institute welcomes the addition of a new nasal spray form of naloxone, the life-saving medicine capable of reversing the effects of opioid overdose, to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from November 1.


Wednesday 27 February 2019

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Federal funding for naloxone research

Burnet Institute research into the anti-opioid medication naloxone will benefit from $100,000 in Federal Government funding announced today.


Tuesday 31 October 2017

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Wednesday 30 March 2016

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Benefits and barriers to expanding the availability of take-home naloxone in Australia: A qualitative interview study with service providers

CREIDU's Paul Dietze, alongside Robyn Dwyer and Suzanne Fraser, has recently published the above study in Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy


Tuesday 1 March 2016

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Landmark day with listing of hepatitis C drugs on PBS scheme

News article by Tracy Parish -- Burnet Institute Deputy Head of Public Affairs & Communications & CREIDU Executive Committee member


Monday 22 February 2016

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Australia reschedules naloxone for opioid overdose

Medical Journal of Australia Perspectives article written by members of the Naloxone National Reference Group (NNRG)


Monday 21 December 2015

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HCV cure drugs available to all Australians

New cure treatments for hepatitis C will now be available for every Australian living with the disease thanks to a landmark Federal Government decision.


Thursday 5 November 2015

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Explainer: what is naloxone and how can it help save drug users who overdose?

Article from The Conversation written by Simon Lenton and Paul Dietze.


Monday 26 October 2015

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New recommendations for the management of hepatitis C among people who inject drugs

Health professionals, community groups, academics and policy makers can now access latest, evidence-based recommendations on the management of hepatitis c among people who inject drugs.


Monday 12 October 2015

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CREIDU Colloquium 2015: Five minute talk can save a life

A diverse range of speakers from Scotland, England, NSW and Victoria shared their insights at this year’s CREIDU Colloquium centred on Prisons: Opportunities and challenges towards improving the health of people who inject drugs.


Monday 5 October 2015

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Naloxone may be available over-the-counter from February 2016

Interim ruling indicates overdose reversal drug naloxone may be down-scheduled to Schedule 3.


Monday 31 August 2015

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Report supports take-home naloxone

The Australian Capital Territory’s innovative opioid overdose management program, which makes take-home naloxone available to potential opioid overdose victims, has been overwhelmingly endorsed by an independent evaluation.


Wednesday 3 June 2015

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Scholarships available for INHSU 2015

A number of full and partial scholarships have been announced for the 4th International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users Conference, Sydney, October 7-9 2015.


Thursday 9 April 2015

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Media Release, AIHW: Growth in use of pharmacotherapy treatment for drug dependence slows

Growth in the number of people receiving pharmacotherapy treatment for opioid dependence has slowed, according to new information published today on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) website.


Sunday 29 March 2015

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WHO releases guidelines for the prevention, care and treatment of persons with chronic hepatitis B infection

The World Health Organisation has released guidelines for the prevention, care and treatment of persons living with chronic hepatitis B infection. These guidelines complement similar recently published guidance by WHO on the prevention, care and treatment of infection due to the hepatitis C virus.


Sunday 22 March 2015

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INHSU 2015: Registration and abstract submission open

Registration and abstract submission is now open for The 4th International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users (INHSU). This symposium is the leading international conference focused on the management of hepatitis among substance users.


Friday 5 December 2014

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Parliamentary inquiry to examine hepatitis C in Australia

A parliamentary health committee has announced an inquiry into treatment, testing, prevention and the cost of hepatitis C in Australia.


Wednesday 3 December 2014

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WAD2014: Getting to Zero - is it possible?

Associate Professor Mark Stoové presented the keynote address at the Living Victoria/Burnet Institute World AIDS Day 2014 celebration.


Tuesday 2 December 2014

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The Treatment And Prevention (TAP) Study

The TAP Study will investigate the efficacy and feasibility of treating people who inject drugs with hepatitis C virus in community-based settings with a 12-week course of oral therapy of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir.


Wednesday 5 November 2014

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Media release: CREIDU support for WHO Opioid Overdose Guidelines

The World Health Organization, based in Geneva, has launched its first-ever Guidelines on the Community Management of Opioid Overdose in a bid to prevent needless drug-related deaths.


Wednesday 3 September 2014

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CREIDU PhD candidate awarded Australian Post Graduate Award Scholarship

CREIDU PhD candidate Tania Patrao was recently awarded an APA scholarship, which are awarded to students of exceptional research potential.


Monday 4 August 2014

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AIDS 2014: CREIDU Symposium

The Centre for Research Excellence into Injecting Drug Use (CREIDU) hosted a panel discussion at AIDS 2014 focusing on controversies in treatment as prevention in people who inject drugs.


Monday 28 July 2014

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World Hepatitis Day: Hepatitis C elimination is possible

The elimination of hepatitis C is a real possibility with new treatments combined with harm reduction, according to World Health Organization experts, including Burnet Institute’s Professor Margaret Hellard.


Friday 18 July 2014

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Know the epidemic: responding to HIV in three key communities

Article discussing the HIV response in three key communities, including people who inject drugs.


Wednesday 16 July 2014

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AIDS 2014: CREIDU Colloquium

HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) treatment as prevention in people who inject drugs was the focus of today’s Centre for Research Excellence into Injecting Drug Use (CREIDU) Colloquium, ahead of AIDS 2014.


Monday 14 July 2014

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Call for Papers - Special focus: Expanding access to care and treatment for hepatitis C virus infection among people who inject drugs

Outline abstracts (300 word maximum) are invited for contributions to a forthcoming special issue of The International Journal of Drug Policy on expanding access to care and treatment for hepatitis C virus infection among people who inject drugs.


Wednesday 9 July 2014

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New national strategies launched to target HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections

The Council of Australian Governments Health Council endorsed five new national strategies for blood-borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections in June 2014.


Friday 4 July 2014

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Sovaldi® (Sofosbuvir) approved by the TGA

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved Sovaldi® (sofosbuvir), a new direct acting antiviral treatment, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection.


Thursday 26 June 2014

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World drug report 2014: more needs to be done to tackle injecting drug use and HIV

The World drug report 2014 recommends a stronger focus on health needs and human rights of all people who use drugs.


Friday 13 June 2014

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AIDS 2014 Melbourne Declaration: Nobody Left Behind

View and sign the declaration to affirm that non-discrimination is fundamental to an evidence-based, rights-based and gender transformative response to HIV.


Monday 2 June 2014

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Yarra City Council responds to the North Richmond Public Injecting Impact Study

The Yarra City Council has reviewed the recommended actions from this report and taken action across all thirteen recommendations.


Thursday 22 May 2014

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Thursday 22 May 2014

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ASHM Junior Researcher Support Awards - Applications now open

The Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM) is once again offering its Junior Researcher Support Awards to junior researchers in the fields of HIV, viral hepatitis and STIs.


Thursday 22 May 2014

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Provide support to make new hepatitis C treatments available

A community consultation period is open until 11 June 2014 for the drugs Simeprevir and Sofosbuvir. This provides an opportunity for anyone to make their voice heard about these drugs being considered for government subsidy through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).


Tuesday 6 May 2014

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Paying people who inject drugs to get the hepatitis B vaccination pays off

Small cash incentives can dramatically increase the likelihood of people who inject drugs completing a course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination, according to new research led by King’s College London.


Friday 2 May 2014

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Domestic Scholarships now available for AIDS 2014

The Australian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM) have announced a new domestic scholarship program for the 20th International AIDS Conference to be held in Melbourne, July 20-25 2014.


Tuesday 22 April 2014

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New measures to counter blood borne viruses and STIs

The Australian Government is investing $22.45 million over four years for prevention programmes to help address increasing rates of sexual transmissible infections (STIs) and blood borne viruses including HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.


Wednesday 16 April 2014

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WHO issues its first hepatitis C treatment guidelines

The World Health Organization has issued its first guidance for the treatment of hepatitis C, a chronic infection that affects an estimated 130 million to 150 million people and results in 350 000 to 500 000 deaths a year.


Friday 11 April 2014

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FDA approves easy-to-use heroin overdose antidote

A heroin overdose-reversal drug system called Evzio has been approved by the FDA.


Friday 4 April 2014

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Test it. Treat it. Beat it. Call for rapid testing to end hepatitis.

Health experts are calling for rapid testing to be extended to people at risk of having hepatitis.


Tuesday 1 April 2014

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Top seven myths about drug overdose antidote, naloxone

Tessie Castillo examines and debunks seven persistent myths surrounding naloxone.


Thursday 27 March 2014

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Eliminating hepatitis C – an ambitious but achievable goal

CREIDU's Margaret Hellard writes about new hepatitis C treatments, treatment as prevention and barriers associated with eliminating hepatitis C.


Wednesday 26 March 2014

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Adelaide researchers claim breakthrough in tackling HIV and hepatitis C with DNA vaccine

South Australian researchers claim they have made a significant breakthrough in tackling HIV and hepatitis C, using a new type of DNA vaccine which protects against the viruses and could possibly provide a cure in five years.


Tuesday 25 March 2014

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CREIDU is now on Twitter

Follow CREIDU on Twitter for updates, news and events.


Friday 7 March 2014

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Behind the Scenes in Melbourne

Sharon Lewin discusses the 2014 International AIDS Conference.


Thursday 27 February 2014

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Website Launch: AIDS2014 Melbourne Youth Force

The StepWise team are excited to announce the launch of a new area of the online StepWise Guide designed specifically for young people interested in and planning to attend AIDS 2014.


Thursday 27 February 2014

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Peter Piot: 10 myths about the AIDS response

In his keynote speech, Peter Piot called on the AIDS movement to take a cold, hard look at the lessons learned, and counter what he sees as the dangerous myths that could lead to a collective state of denial.


Thursday 13 February 2014

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Saving lives for just $40

Several lives have been saved through a project training illicit drug users to reverse overdoses through naloxone injections worth just $40.


Tuesday 4 February 2014

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Plans for syringe machines

Syringe dispensers planned for Braybrook, Footscray


Tuesday 4 February 2014

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Steroid use higher in bi, gay teen boys, according to Pediatrics article

GAY and bisexual teen boys in the US use illicit steroids at a rate almost six times higher than do straight kids, researchers say.


Tuesday 4 February 2014

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The Tragedy of Philip Seymour Hoffman: How We Can Prevent Overdose Deaths

Drug Policy Alliance Harm Reduction Manager Meghan Ralston discusses the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman and acknowledges the need to improve drug policies


Tuesday 4 February 2014

Philip Seymour Hoffman's death in line with heroin use trends

Heroin users do not simply "grow out" of their drug addiction, experts say, with more people like US actor Philip Seymour Hoffman using the drug in their 40s and 50s - and dying from overdose.


Monday 27 January 2014

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Muscling up: Are steroids an emerging criminal threat?

Data from the ACC’s 2011-12 Illicit Drug Data report indicated that the market for performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs) has expanded, with record numbers of seizures, detections and arrests.


Friday 17 January 2014

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Syringe vending machine trial supported by Victorian Mental Health Minister Mary Wooldridge

Syringe vending machines have been used in New South Wales since 1992 and are also being used in Queensland, the ACT, Western Australia and Tasmania.


Wednesday 4 December 2013

Support ADCA at http://chn.ge/1k00opp

A petition has been launched requesting that the Australian Government reconsider its decision to stop funding ADCA. To show your support sign up at http://chn.ge/1k00opp.


Thursday 15 August 2013

International Overdose Awareness Day 2013

Acknowledging the impact drug overdose has on individuals, their families and the community.


Monday 5 August 2013

New study finds a reduction in hepatitis C incidence among injection drug users attending needle and syringe programs in Australia

A study recently published by researchers at the Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, including CREIDU's Professor Lisa Maher, shows that the decline in HCV incidence among Australian injecting drug users coincides with the expansion of harm reduction programs


Friday 2 August 2013

CREIDU members to play a key role in expanding the availability of naloxone in Melbourne

Planning is underway to develop a strategy to distribute naloxone, the overdose reversal drug, in the inner-city suburbs of Collingwood, Richmond and Fitzroy.


Wednesday 31 July 2013

Study finds young people just released from prison are up to 20 times more likely to face death than other people in the community

CREIDU's Associate Professor Stuart Kinner from the University of Melbourne is interviewed on ABC News Radio about his study which looked at the mortality of people after being released from prison.


Friday 26 July 2013

World Hepatitis Day July 28

World Hepatitis Day is an annual event that each year provides international focus for patient groups and people living with hepatitis B and C.


Thursday 25 July 2013

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CREIDU Colloquium: Take-home naloxone could save lives

Key experts from Australia and UK discuss making naloxone available to those who potentially will witness overdose.


Thursday 25 July 2013

Treating people who inject drugs the first step towards eliminating hepatitis C

The first-ever international guidelines for treating hepatitis C in people who inject drugs have been published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases ahead of World Hepatitis Day on 28 July.


Monday 1 July 2013

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2012 National Drug Trends Conference

‘Drugs, crime and the front-line: Australasian perspective’


Thursday 20 June 2013

Prime Minister's Award for Excellence goes to CREIDU member

CREIDU congratulates Professor Lisa Maher as this year’s recipient of the National Drug and Alcohol Award’s Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence.


Monday 20 May 2013

CREIDU report reveals adverse impact of public injecting in North Richmond

New research undertaken on the streets of Richmond and Abbotsford has revealed increasing health risks for people who inject drugs and significant community concern over the impact of injecting in public areas.


Thursday 9 May 2013

New antiviral treatment could significantly reduce global burden of hepatitis C

Scientists show potential impact of therapy in reducing hepatitis C transmission in UK, Canada and Australia.


Thursday 9 May 2013

CREIDU study finds younger injecting drug users engage in more risky injecting behaviours

CREIDU PhD scholar Danielle Horyniak's research entitled "The relationship between age and risky injecting behaviours among a sample of Australian people who inject drugs" published in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal this month shows that older injecting drug users report significantly lower levels of high-risk injecting practices.


Wednesday 17 April 2013

Reducing fatal overdose - family and peer naloxone distribution

Fatal overdoses associated with heroin and other opioids continue to rise. CREIDU's Trevor King writes in the Hep Review magazine about naloxone as an important overdose prevention and management strategy, and the need to expand the availability of naloxone to trained peers and family. (Also see our Policy Brief on improving responses to opioid overdose through naloxone).


Monday 25 February 2013

New hepatitis C treatments to be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

CREIDU welcomes the announcement by Minister for Health Tanya Plibersek that two new hepatitis C treatments, boceprevir and telaprevir will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).


Friday 15 February 2013

Workshop: Treating Hepatitis C: The Coming Revolution Post-Interferon

This workshop, as part of the Medicine in Addiction 2013 conference will provide an update on hepatitis C patient assessment and monitoring among professionals working in primary care.


Friday 15 February 2013

Injecting drugs: important issues and urgent responses required

CREIDU's Trevor King writes in this month's Hep Review magazine, highlighting the need for urgent evidence-based policy responses to the stigma and health and social issues faced by people who inject drugs.


Monday 15 October 2012

Australia’s first National Hepatitis B Testing Policy to tackle liver cancer

CREIDU welcomes the development of Australia’s first HBV testing policy and the identification of PWID as a priority group for testing and vaccination.


Friday 7 September 2012

Call for Action on Viral Hepatitis: The Auckland Statement

Viral hepatitis is an urgent health concern. Immediate action is needed to prevent new infections and to tackle the rising burden of cirrhosis and avoidable deaths due to liver cancer.