In September 2024, the Australasian HIV&AIDS Conference and 25th IUSTI World Congress (incorporating the Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Conference) brought together delegates from across the world on Gadigal Country to discuss the latest advancements across HIV and sexual and reproductive health.
During these conferences, ASHM’s Global team connected with collaborating partners from Oceania and the Pacific and shared our current international projects.
Working together for progress
ASHM were pleased to host three senior health professionals from the Ministry of Health Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea (PNG) National Department of Health, along with Maia da Costa Tilman, our partner Maluk Timor’s Program Manager.
ASHM has worked closely with Vanuatu Ministry of Health and Medical Services to train local health workers to screen, test, and treat STIs, hepatitis B and mpox. Annie Tassiet, HIV, Sexual Health and Viral Hepatitis Coordinator at the Vanuatu Ministry of Health, shared that attending the 25th IUSTI World Congress has been inspiring and insightful:
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for allowing me to attend the IUSTI International Conference 2024 in Sydney. My presence helped me and I found the event was a very valuable learning experience. I want to make a change for my people in Vanuatu in the context of sexual and reproductive health services"
ASHM was also pleased to be joined at the conferences by Dr Grace Kariwiga, lead obstetrician at Milne Bay Province in PNG. ASHM is working closely with Dr Kariwiga and Milne Bay Provincial Health Authorities to scale up efforts to prevent parent-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B under the Supporting Triple Elimination in Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste Project (STEPT) project.
During the week, ASHM Global Clinical Advisors Dr Arun Menon, Dr Catherine O’Connor, Dr Adam Barlett, and Dr Eleaonor McMorran, kindly gave their time to take part in the ASHM Global Clinical Advisor workshop, which explored current training and mentoring methods and discussed ways to strengthen our approaches to sustainable in-country capacity building.
Sharing syphilis response approaches
On 18 September, the ‘Ending syphilis in Australia and the Pacific’ session explored the different syphilis responses across our region, and was chaired by Dr Lucas de Toca, Australia’s Global Health Ambassador and Head of the Global Health Division at the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security , Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and Dr Michelle O’Connor, ASHM Global Director.
Dr Petronia Kaima, Head of Communicable Diseases at the Department of Health in PNG, presented on the current syphilis situation in PNG and the importance of timely screening — particularly for pregnant women and their partners.
Maia da Costa Tilman, Maluk Timor Program Manager, and Dr Eleonor McMorran, ASHM Clinical Trainer, presented on the outcomes to date of Supporting Triple Elimination in Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste Project (STEPT) in Timor-Leste. During the presentation, they shared that the introduction of point of care syphilis testing has reduced the lost to follow up rate of syphilis cases in mothers in Formosa clinic from 57% to just 2%.
Alongside our partners’ Pacific perspective, Professor Paul Kelly, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, and Professor James Ward, Pitjantjatjara and Narungga man and Director of the UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, provided insight into Australia’s response to syphilis epidemic. Meanwhile, IUSTI 2024 Keynote Speaker Professor Michael Marks, Professor of Medicine, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, offered an epidemiological perspective.
Mentor Mothers program showing the importance of co-design
Brooke Dickson, ASHM Papua New Guinea and Pacific Program Manager, presented on the codesign of the Papua New Guinea Mother Mentor Toolkit, an initiative undertaken by ASHM Health in partnership with the PNG National Department of Health, Igat Hope, and the Burnet Institute and funded by World Vision International under the Global Fund. The Mother Mentor program aims to strengthen HIV health literacy of pregnant women and mothers and strengthen their linkages to health services.
ASHM acknowledges the support of the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
ASHM recognises Abbott Diagnostics for supporting two regional scholarship recipients to attend the joint conferences.
