12E. Paediatrics Session: HIV and Viral Hepatitis - Supported by the Sydney Children's Hospital
Tracks
| Wednesday, September 16, 2026 |
| 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM |
| Albert |
Details
The Sydney Children’s Hospital HIV Service is proud to be partnering with ASHM again to deliver two sessions dedicated to child health at the ASHM HIV&AIDS / ASRH Conference 2026! The HIV and Viral Hepatitis Session will include presentations and discussions on community-based psychosocial models of care for children living with HIV, adolescents living with HIV, breastfeeding guidance for women living with HIV, the integration of Hepatitis B prevention into Triple Elimination, and an update on Hepatitis C management in children.
Speaker
Professor Benjamin Cowie
Director
WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis, Doherty Institute
Integrating Hepatitis B in to Triple Elimination in the Western Pacific
2:00 PM - 2:15 PMBiography
Professor Benjamin Cowie is an infectious diseases physician and epidemiologist, with appointments at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Doherty Institute. He is a Professorial Fellow in the Department of Infectious Diseases, Melbourne Medical School. In 2015 Ben was named the inaugural Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis at the Doherty Institute.
Dr Elizabeth Bannister
Paediatric Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist
Royal Children's Hospital
Small Patients, Big Opportunity: Hepatitis C management in Children
2:15 PM - 2:30 PMBiography
Dr Bannister is a Paediatric Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, and researcher at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Her PhD examined the molecular virology of HBV in chronically infected African Children living in Australia. She also recently authored a children's book: "Áll about the Gut"!
Ms Josephine Nabukenya
Founder And Executive Director
Miles Of Smiles Foundation
Pyschosocial models of care, lessons from Uganda
2:30 PM - 2:45 PMBiography
I am the Founder of Miles of Smiles Foundation, a non-government organization based in Uganda. Our mission is to improve the lives of children, adolescents, and youth living with chronic illnesses through peer-led interventions that provide treatment support, psychosocial care, and skills development.
A/prof Penelope Bryant
Infectious Diseases Specialist
The Royal Children's Hospital
How adolescents living with HIV do adulting
2:45 PM - 3:00 PMBiography
A/Prof Penelope Bryant is a Paediatric Infectious Diseases physician at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, with research at the University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children’s Research Unit. She has practised in HIV medicine since the early 2000s, has 3 teenagers of her own and thinks adolescents are rather wonderful.
HIV&AIDS Conference
HIV and breastfeeding panel discussion
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMBiography
Dr Sushena Krishnaswamy
Infectious Diseases Physician
Monash Health
Panel Member
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMBiography
Sushena is an infectious diseases physician at Monash Health and Royal Womens Hospitals in Naarm (Melbourne). Her clinical and research interests include infections in pregnancy including HIV, and viral hepatitis, adult immunisation including vaccination in pregnancy, and improving antimicrobial use particularly in obstetric and gynaecology settings.
Dr Mel Kelly
Staff Specialist
The Albion Centre
Panel Member
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMBiography
Dr Mel Kelly is a staff specialist in Infectious Diseases and Sexual Health Medicine at The Albion Centre (Sexual Health Services) SESLHD. She is the medical lead for the t150 transgender health service. Her clinical and research interests include HIV, Viral hepatitis, transgender health and the provision of optimal healthcare to the LGBTQ community, especially those who find mainstream health services challenging.
Ms Ellen Caukill
A/HIV Clinical Nurse Consultant
Sydney Children's Hospital Network
Panel Member
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMBiography
Mrs Lynette Jorissen
Lactation Consultant
Monash Health
Panel Member
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMBiography
Lived Experience Speaker
Panel Member
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMBiography
Session Chair
Adam Bartlett
Staff Specialist
Sydney Children's Hospital
