Yesterday I went to the ABC of Hepatitis training here in Cairns. The Hepatitis Council of Queensland has developed this training over a few years and this was the first time I had the pleasure of attending.
Jake from HCQ, with the support of Nicola to keep him on schedule, presented an incredibly informative training session. There was a great crowd there too, including people from Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC), Family Planning Queensland (FPQ), Queensland Positive Speakers Bureau (QPSB), Queensland Health, and other local organizations. I apologize to anyone who was there if I missed you. It was amazing to see the community organizations come along and learn about viral hepatitis.
Jake is a skilled presenter. He is hep C positive himself and has been through treatment a couple of times, and unfortunately both times he didn’t respond. He brings his own experiences to the training and makes it all very real. Megan from the QPSB told her story, of her diagnosis and successful treatment, and her experiences since then of sharing her knowledge and supporting other people with hep C.
There were a lot of questions asked throughout the day, which is a sign that people are interested and learning, and although that meant we didn’t necessarily keep to schedule, we were all given huge books full of information and resources to take with us.
I’d really like to commend the Hepatitis Council for creating this tremendous training package and delivering it in such a relaxed way. Jake, you were brilliant, and Nicola, I was only stirring when I said you were there to keep Jake on schedule. I know your contribution is much more than that.
Keep up the great work, guys.
If anyone wants any more information about the ABC of Hepatitis training, you can contact HCQ via their website. http://www.hepqld.asn.au/