James Morrison

Closing the Ever-Widening Gap

Despite the rejection of the Voice in the 2023 referendum, some working in the sector still see hope.

Federal Budget Responses

The 2025-26 Federal Budget–showing the Labor government’s plans if re-elected in May–has an emphasis on public health investment, focused on strengthening primary care and improving access to PBS-listed medicines. The …

Need to Act on Hepatitis D Now

The Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) has recently rejected an application for a new drug, bulevirtide, to be be available at subsidised rates for for treatment of hepatitis D, despite …

Turning the Tide of Hepatitis C Treatment in Machar Colony

In southern Pakistan’s Sindh province, on the edge of Karachi’s bustling fish harbour, sits Machar Colony. It is an informal settlement where life is harsh, often unkind, and plagued by overcrowding, …

Mouse Model Helping Develop Hep C Vaccine

Unlike a number of other viruses, hepatitis C (HCV) is only naturally found–and able to replicate–in humans and, to a lesser extent, chimpanzees. This has proven to be a major …

Meat Alternatives Great for Your Health and the Planet

Meatless alternatives to meat are an increasingly viable option for people looking to improve their own health, the planet’s health, or reduce the amount of suffering in the world. People …

Nanoparticles: A New Approach to a Hepatitis C Vaccine

A new and promising approach to developing a vaccine for hepatitis Chas been uncovered by medical research scientists in Germany.

Knocking out Hepatitis B, C and D

Hepatitis B, C and D rely on a common factor for replication. This could be used to develop a cure for all three viruses.

Thinner Not Better with MAFLD

A research discovery from the Storr Liver Centre at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research in Sydney has identified why lean people with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) have …

Test and Cure via Pharmacies

Burnet study finds introducing hepatitis C outreach and treatment programs in Australian community pharmacies could significantly increase testing and cure.

The Shape of a Hep C Vaccine?

One significant contrast between the two most damaging viral hepatitis viruses is that hepatitis B can be vaccinated against, but the is no reliable cure. Hepatitis C, on the other …

Hep B: Global Testing Availability

Globally, fewer than 10 per cet of the people living with hepatitis B (HBV) have been diagnosed. With only a little over five years until the deadline for the World …

Does Pollution Make Hepatitis Worse?

Man-made environmental pollution is known as a significant danger to human health. Globally, air pollution kills more than 8 million people annually, and the particulate matter caused by Australia’s climate …

Unfinished Business

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience a greater burden of disease related to blood-borne viruses (BBV) and sexually transmitted infections (STI). In recognition of this alarming reality, Australia has …

Migration: Improved Prospects for People Living with Hepatitis B

Changes to Australia’s migration laws have lowered the barriers to permanent residency for people living with hepatitis B. These changes come after years of lobbying by advocacy groups. The Australian …

Will Gene Editing Cure Hep B?

CRISPR technology is one of the most dramatic recent developments in biological science, an invention that–in very simple terms–basically allows researchers to cut and paste genes in DNA and RNA. …

Our Website Officially Launched on World Hepatitis Day

South Australia’s Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Chris Picton, has described the Community News online platform as an example of Hepatitis SA’s commitment to ensuring that South Australians have access …

60-Second HCV Test Approved

The INSTI HCV Antibody point-of-care test has received approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration, meaning it can now be used widely in Australia. This test is a single-use, rapid, flow-through …

Avoidable Drug-Induced Deaths in Australia

Drug-induced deaths continue to be a public health issue in Australia, with the equivalent of five deaths per day.

How Emergency Departments Fail the Mentally Ill

A serious disconnect between hospital emergency departments and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is failing people with mental health conditions.

National Reconciliation Week 2024

Reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-indigenous Australians took a battering in 2023 when the referendum on constitutional recognition of our country’s first people was defeated following a campaign marred by racism, …

Budget 2024 – What’s in it for Viral Hepatitis

There's some welcome funding for the fight to eliminate viral hepatitis but it's disappointing to note that hepatitis B again gets a back seat.

WHO Warns World: Viral Hepatitis Claiming 3500 Lives Each Day

In 2023, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), presented Egypt with an official certification for becoming the first country to achieve gold-tier status on the …

WHO Releases New Hepatitis B Guidelines

New WHO hep B guidelines: simplified treatment criteria, improved hep D diagnosis, better access to prophylactic treatment for pregnant women.