Indigenous health and sexual health workers from the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area made the trek south to attend the Deadly Sex Congress in Brisbane earlier this month. Photo: Supplied.
Indigenous sexual health and health workers from across the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area have returned home better informed and prepared to serve their communities after attending a sexual health conference in Brisbane earlier this month.
The Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) cohort headed to the state capital from 9-10 October for the 2024 Deadly Sex Congress, an annual forum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and practitioners.
Information sessions included updates on current and emerging issues in blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
TCHHS men’s and women’s health program co-ordinator Lily-Annie Ahmat said the congress represented an invaluable opportunity for attendees to enhance their knowledge, build workforce capacity, and share stories.
She added it was also an opportunity to learn more about the latest in BBVs and STI rates and trends.
Senior public health officer Mario Assan said staff from the men’s and women’s health program also presented and participated in various panels as one of the five primary health care programs that operate under the Torres Strait Model of Primary Health Care in the northernmost part of the TCHHS service delivery footprint.
Primary healthcare programs director Maleta Abednego said attending the Deadly Sex Congress was a great opportunity and a valuable platform for the team to impart its knowledge and experiences at a statewide level.
