October 2019
The fourth webinar, "HIV and viral hepatitis community-based testing in low threshold settings: European experiences" occurred on Tuesday, 29 October from 14-14:30 CET. Jason Farrell of Correlation Network provided information on establishing and maintaining integrated testing for viral hepatitis and HIV through community services in low threshold organisations. One of the aims of the webinar was to give service providers a better understanding of what community testing is, and the challenges when establishing integrated testing for viral hepatitis and HIV with medical workers or with peer workers (lay providers) in community services. The webinar informed about the potential barriers and issues between both types of service provision and present good practice examples from select sites in Europe who have successfully overcome barriers in implementing community testing in low threshold organisations.
This webinar will also examine current EU policies and testing guidelines, including the 2015 WHO consolidated guidelines on HIV testing services and the 2018 ECDC guidance on testing for viral hepatitis and HIV, and identified best practices to support testing in low threshold settings.
Brief presenter bio: Jason Farrell works as a project officer for Correlation Network. He is responsible for HCV prevention capacity building, providing training and program support for Correlation Network’s member organisations involved in HCV-community testing.
To watch the webinar, click here or copy/paste the following address into your web browser: https://bit.ly/2NPJxOZ
September 2019
In September 2019, there were two free live webinars:
The webinar "Moving towards integration: ECDC public health guidance on HIV, hepatitis B and C testing in the EU/EEA" occurred on Tuesday, 24 September 2019 from 13:00-13:30 CEST. Anastasia Pharris of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) provided an introduction of the development of the 2018 ECDC public health guidance and presented the recommendations in implementing integrated testing for HIV and viral hepatitis.
Brief description of webinar: In 2018, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published an update to their 2010 guidance on HIV testing, extending the document to include testing for viral hepatitis. This guidance aims to provide European countries with an evidence-based framework to help develop, implement, monitor and evaluate their own national HBV, HCV and HIV testing guidelines and programmes. It offers a range of evidence-based and expert reviewed options for designing testing interventions in a variety of settings and populations and supports the concepts of diversifying and integrating testing services.
Presenter bio: Anastasia Pharris is an Expert in HIV at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Stockholm, Sweden. She is a nurse with Masters degrees in public health and community health nursing and a PhD in public health. Over the last 20 years, she has worked on clinical and public health aspects of HIV in the USA, Uganda, Zambia, Vietnam, Sweden and, now, at the European level. At ECDC, she is responsible for HIV surveillance within the countries of the European Union. She also provides technical support to countries in Europe on the HIV continuum of care and modelled estimates of HIV incidence and time from infection to HIV diagnosis.
She has led several ECDC country visits for technical support to local authorities and ECDC scientific guidance projects on the prevention of infections among people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men.
To watch the webinar, click here or copy/paste the following address into your web browser: https://bit.ly/2Kpt4Pq
The webinar, "Applying Integrated Testing Recommendations in Community Settings," was organised by the European AIDS Treatment Group and supported by ETW. The webinar occurred on 12 September from 17:00-17:45 CET.
Brief description of webinar: EATG organised a webinar to support mutual learning and exchange on effective testing approaches by lay providers between community services providers and interested partners. The webinar examined tools to support integrated HIV/viral hepatitis testing as per ECDC testing recommendations - outside of medical settings.
Brief speaker bio: Miguel Rocha, a nurse working with GAT will present on a triage guide tool used by the Portuguese Community-based Screening Network that helps those performing testing select in a fast and effective manner the indicated rapid test to apply in the context of integrated HIV/HBV/HCV/syphilis.
To watch the webinar, click here or copy paste the following address into your web browser: https://youtu.be/Oig0_qevKK0
May 2019
To help launch the 2019 Spring European Testing Week, EuroTEST and ETW hosted two free live webinars. These two webinars showcased testing experiences from Southern Europe and the United Kingdom.
The webinar, “High contribution, low public funding: Southern European Checkpoints' role in HIV detection in 4 countries,” was presented by Miguel Rocha of Grupo de Ativistas em Tratamentos (GAT)/CheckpointLX.
Miguel Rocha is a community health nurse working at GAT’s (treatment activists group) Portugal community-based sexual health centre for MSM – CheckpointLX – since 2012.
Miguel presented on how Checkpoints in Southern Europe have contributed to increases in testing uptake among MSM and diagnose HIV patients earlier than clinical services despite barriers in obtaining public funding.
To watch the webinar, click here or copy/paste the following address into your web browser: https://bit.ly/2OsZvBc
The webinar, “Introducing a free HIV self testing service: Terrence Higgins Trust’s experience offering HIV self test kits online,” was presented by Will Howells and Taku Mukiwa of Terrence Higgins Trust (THT).
Will Howells is Head of Digital and Taku Mukiwa is Head of Social Marketing at Terrence Higgins Trust (THT). THT is the leading HIV and sexual health charity in the UK and the largest voluntary sector provider of HIV and sexual health services, running services out of local centres across Great Britain.
Taku and Will presented on Terrence Higgins Trust’s experience of setting up and delivering a UK-based programme offering free HIV self-testing kits online to most at-risk communities.
To watch the webinar, click here or copy/paste the following address into your web browser: https://bit.ly/2ZdfLuf
After you have viewed the webinar, we would appreciate your feedback through a very short questionnaire. It will only take an estimated 5 minutes to complete: https://is.gd/SpringWebinars
Questions? Email us at eurotest.rigshospitalet@regionh.dk