WA Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Strategy 2024-2030 co-design

Overview

Be part of the strategy development that aims to eliminate...

• HIV
• viral hepatitis (as a public health threat)
• congenital syphilis

WA Department of Health’s (DoH) current suite of WA Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Strategies 2019-2023 are due to lapse on 31 December 2023. These strategies are:

• WA Sexually Transmissible Infections (STI) Strategy
• WA Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Strategy
• WA Hepatitis B Strategy
• WA Hepatitis C Strategy
• WA Aboriginal Sexual Health and Blood-borne (BBV) Virus Strategy

The WA DoH’s Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Program seeks to co-design the next iteration with key stakeholders and publish the strategy by early 2024.

The SHBBVP has commenced planning for the development of one integrated WA Strategy (‘the WA Strategy’), with two associated plans:

• • WA Sexual Health and BBV Plan
  • WA Aboriginal Sexual Health and BBV Plan

This is a shift in the methodology, development and delivery of the WA strategies, with one cohesive, data-driven and evidence-informed approach to consolidating the current suite of strategies. The WA Strategy will span seven years instead of the previous four years, to align with national 2030 goals and targets.

The WA Strategy will:

• refine the current guiding principles to align with current evidence and best practice
• build upon actions and investments from the current WA Strategies
• provide an agreed framework for a high quality and coordinated response to prevention and control of BBVs and STIs in WA
• complement other jurisdictional, national, and international policies and strategies. (These include the National Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategies 2023-2030, which are currently in development.)

Why your views matter

The WA DoH will facilitate robust consultations to plan, prioritise and monitor the public health response to STIs and BBVs in WA. The consultation process will build on the achievements and lessons learned from the previous strategies and set a strong direction for WA’s continued response to STIs and BBVs.

Health professionals and community organisations in WA are invited to participate in the co-design process by contributing to the online and/or face-to-face consultations.

We want to hear your opinions across the Action Areas, including:

• priorities that need to be addressed for your service/region
• existing approaches to continue and why
• evidenced-based approaches that could be implemented
• barriers that still exist or may be emerging.

Your feedback from this co-design process will inform the development of the final Strategy and two associated plans.