Concurrent Session 5A: Abstract Session. HCV Testing, Diagnosis & Linkage to Care
Tracks
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| Thursday, October 8, 2026 |
| 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM |
| Zenit |
Speaker
INHSU 2026
Welcome & Introduction
4:00 PM - 4:05 PMBiography
Dr Monica Desai
Consultant Epidemiologist
UK Health Security Agency
Opportunities for emergency department opt-out testing for blood-borne viruses in England to support earlier diagnosis and linkage into care for people living with HCV
4:05 PM - 4:20 PMBiography
Consultant Epidemiologist and Head of Hepatitis at UKHSA. Monica has served on INHSU educational and programme committees and the WHO data collaborative. Her research is on elimination of viral hepatitis, she co-leads the NIHR public health evaluation of BBV opt-out testing in EDs, has over 60 journal publications and has been guest editor for IJDP.
Kostyantyn Dumchev
Research Scientist
National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Simplified onsite hepatitis C treatment in opioid agonist therapy clinics in Ukraine
4:20 PM - 4:35 PMBiography
Kostyantyn Dumchev, MD, MPH, is a public health researcher at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the Ukrainian Institute on Public Health Policy. His work focuses on HIV, hepatitis C, addiction medicine, and health systems for key populations.
Miss Andrea Torres Robles
Research Associate
Unsw/ Kirby Institute
From process mapping to practice change: identifying gaps, target behaviours, and implementation strategies to enhance hepatitis C point‑of‑care testing and treatment
4:35 PM - 4:50 PMBiography
Dr Andrea Torres Robles is a Pharmacist and an Early Career researcher with extensive experience in health services research, including qualitative and quantitative analysis methods, focusing on the design, evaluation, and implementation of healthcare interventions. She is also engaged in the National Hepatitis C Point-of-Care Testing Program, contributing as part of a multidisciplinary team comprising healthcare practitioners, clinical experts, and academic researchers. Her work focuses on the application of implementation science methodologies, including the use of process mapping, systematic identification of contextual implementation factors, and the development of targeted strategies aimed at optimising the uptake of Point-of-Care testing within diverse healthcare settings.
Dr Nur Afiqah Mohd Salleh
Senior Lecturer
Universiti Malaya
Community-based screening, on-site blood collection, and telemedicine to initiate direct-acting antiviral therapy among people who use drugs in Malaysia
4:50 PM - 5:05 PMBiography
Dr Mohd Salleh is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Malaya whose research focuses on implementation science at the intersection of HIV, hepatitis C, drug policy, and health equity. Her work examines how structural inequalities, stigma, criminalisation, and health system barriers affect access to prevention, treatment, and care, particularly for people who use drugs and other key populations affected by HIV.
She conducts implementation research to strengthen delivery of antiretroviral therapy, hepatitis C treatment, harm reduction, and community-based interventions. Using mixed methods and community-engaged approaches, she collaborates with civil society organisations, policymakers, and international partners to translate research into policy and practice, contributing to more equitable health systems in Malaysia and the region.
Mr Zahedul Islam
Director: Treatment, Procurement & Supply Management
Alliance for Public Health
HCV comprehensive package of peer services for marginalized women in Ukraine during war
5:05 PM - 5:10 PMBiography
Mr. Zahedul Islam
Director: Treatment, Procurement and Supply Management | Alliance for Public Health, Ukraine
Mr. Zahedul Islam is currently the Director of the Treatment, Procurement, and Supply Management Department of the Alliance for Public Health in Ukraine, where he leads treatment and care programs, particularly HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (especially MDR-TB), and viral hepatitis. He provides technical and implementation guidance to the organization and oversees the sourcing and procurement of health commodities to achieve the greatest value and impact. Mr. Islam previously worked at Management Sciences for Health in Bangladesh and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine and served in multiple leadership roles with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). He continues to serve as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for MSF South Asia.
Ms Jane Van der Jagt
Hepatology Nurse Practitioner
Mid North Coast Local Health District
New South Wales (NSW) hepatitis C remote prescribing program
5:10 PM - 5:15 PMBiography
Jana Van der Jagt is a Hepatology Nurse Practitioner from the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia who has been working in the field of Viral Hepatitis for 27 years. Her passions include nurse education and the development responsive, flexible models of care in hepatology that meet the needs of people from marginalised communities.
Miss Rachel Dowling
Data Manager
Find&Treat
A/Prof Marianne Martinello
Associate Professor / ID Physician
Kirby Institute / Prince Of Wales Hospital
Comparative evaluation of point-of-care anti-HCV antibody tests for diagnosis of hepatitis C infection
5:20 PM - 5:25 PMBiography
A/Prof Marianne Martinello is an infectious diseases physician, deputy program head and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the Kirby Institute, UNSW and Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney.
Prof Joseph Doyle
Professor, Infectious Diseases
Monash University
Immediate hepatitis C testing and treatment to accelerate elimination among people who inject drugs (the QUICKSTART trial): a cluster randomised, cross-over trial
5:25 PM - 5:30 PMBiography
Prof Joseph Doyle is professor of infectious diseases at Monash University, Consultant Physician at Bayside Health, and Head of Infectious Diseases Clinical Research at Burnet Institute.