Connect & Learn: Integrating Hepatitis C testing and treatment into addiction care of people who inject drugs – lessons from Melbourne’s Medically Supervised Injecting Room, presented by A/Prof Nico Clark 

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), hepatitis C is the main cause of death globally in people who inject drugs, yet it is easy to diagnose and treat. Australia has the potential to eliminate hepatitis C, but this requires a concerted effort to diagnose and treat HCV in PWID, not just those who have injected in the past, but those who are continuing to inject drugs.

While diagnostic and treatment pathways for HCV are simple, adapting them to the needs of our clients, rather than expecting our clients to adapt to our treatment systems, is the key to increasing the rates of diagnosis and treatment. This has implications for both the way we design our health care systems and the way we manage individuals within those systems.

A/Prof Nico Clark is a specialist in addiction medicine and the Head of Addiction Medicine at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Clinical Director at First Step Clinic, Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at Monash University and Principal Research Fellow at the Burnet Institute. With a strong commitment to improving health outcomes for people who inject drugs, Dr Clark has played a pivotal role in advancing integrated models of care that combine hepatitis C treatment with harm reduction and addiction services.

As the inaugural Medical Director of Victoria’s Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MSIR), and in collaboration with the Gastroenterology Department at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Nico was integral to the establishment and development of what was to become Victoria’s largest site for the diagnosis and treatment of HCV, treating more than 100 people a year at its peak.

In addition to his leadership in Australia, Dr Clark collaborates with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), contributing to global efforts to support the health of people who use drugs. He has developed several currently used WHO guidelines and worked on projects supporting services in low- and middle-income countries.

Dr Clark’s work spans clinical service delivery, service design, clinical research, policy development, and international collaboration. His current focus is on embedding hepatitis C care within addiction treatment programs, removing barriers to access, and promoting models that prioritise equity, dignity, and continuity of care.

Connect & Learn webinar series addresses a wide range of practice-relevant topics presented by local expert clinicians. The webinars aim to enhance the capabilities of Victorian AOD and MH workers in responding to substance use and addiction issues among their clients and consumers.

Date: Tuesday 16th September 2025

Time: 1pm to 1:45pm AEST

Venue: online

NOTE: This webinar is only available to staff working in a Victorian Department of Health (DH)- funded AOD organisation.

Previous webinars are on demand at the Turning Point website: https://www.turningpoint.org.au/education/webinars

Click here to subscribe to the Turning Point mailing list