10th International Hepatitis C Conference

Introduction

The 10th International Hepatitis C Conference will be held in the UK at Derby Conference Centre on the 3-4th June 2008. This will be a two day event with a full programme of International speakers with slots for oral abstract presentations.

The programme will cover a range of themes with speakers invited from France, Egypt, Germany, UK and Australia:

Migrating and Mitigating HCV Politics

The opening session of the conference will focus on tackling hepatitis C in terms of current political environments, infrastructure and impact at global level.

Scratching the Surface of HCV Case Finding

Explore national testing programmes for hepatitis C and lessons learned so far with speakers invited from France and Australia. A significant question and answer component has been built into this session to enable effective plenary discussion.

Mental Health & Social Care for Successful Testing & Treatment

A crucial area in relation to modern care pathways for hepatitis C. This afternoon session on day one will discuss requirements for social care and mental health professionals, focusing on individuals from a drug using back ground when developing testing and treatment initiatives for hepatitis C.

Engaging at Risk Groups for HCV

Approaches to engage different risk groups and communities will be discussed, evidence, considerations and experiences presented in this key area which underlies all national/regional strategies and action plans.

National Action Plans - Marrying Best Practice and Cost Effectiveness

The opening session of day two will discuss costed models to tackled hepatitis C in the context of developing and implementing national action plans. Details of financial and infrastructure requirements will be examined. The feasibility of assessing harm reduction measures for HCV in this context will also be explored. A significant question and answer component has been built into this session to enable effective plenary discussion

Harm Reduction Interventions and Lessons Learned

An innovative session that will explore the implementation, considerations, experiences and lessons learned so far in relation to 24 hour provision and harm reduction initiatives in prison settings. The session will focus on vending machines and needle exchange in prison within this broader context.

Is Community Anti-Viral Therapy the Future Model for HCV Treatment

Treatment models for hepatitis C will be compared and explored with speakers invited from Egypt, UK and Australia to discuss their experiences of implementation, results and lessons learned so far..  

Social Session - Conference Debate

At the end of day one, cheese and wine will be available in the venue's sunken lounge to help delegates unwind and network. To keep us stimulated, a debate will also be hosted to challenge our knowledge and views on an fundamental topic:

Debate topic: Is Drug Use a Medical or Legal Problem?