P6.033 Planning, Implementing and Managing Key Aspects of an Australian State Sexually Transmitted Infections Programme

Abstract

Background: New South Wales (NSW), Australia developed its first STI Strategy in 2006. Strategic goals were to reduce the transmission and morbidity of STIs; increase use of condoms with casual sexual partners; and increase STI testing. The Strategy development and implementation was guided by a Health Minister's HIV and STI Strategy Advisory Committee, including clinicians, public health professionals, researchers, community organisations and health administrators. The NSW STI Programs Unit (STIPU) was established to focus on publically funded sexual health service (PFSHS) reorientation to priority populations; improved capacity of general practise (GP) and STI social marketing. Methods: STIPU has an advisory group and three working groups for projects dedicated to GP, PFSHS and community STI social marketing. Multidisciplinary groups including academic researchers created work plans to identify needs; develop baseline, process and outcome indicators; develop, promote and disseminate resources and training activities. Results: Identified needs include population health skills, priority population triage, local priority population estimations; resources and training developed include, for GP, STI testing and partner notification tools, practise nurse chlamydia testing card, online and in person STI training modules for doctors and nurses; for PFSHS, priority population calculator and target estimator, state-wide standard operating procedures and triage training. In consultation with academic and corporate health marketers, a social marketing plan includes working with young people's music festivals using online and festival activations. Cross government and non-government youth agencies are now receiving consistent sexual health messaging for local youth work further supporting current school-based sexual health curriculum. External academic evaluation has been undertaken to refine GP project activities. Conclusion: Coordinating three key aspects of the NSW STI Strategy implementation has allowed programme knowledge, practise and outcomes to be considered concurrently. Partner engagement remains strong and early operations and systems research integration has stimulated programme management.