1. Specialist Registrar in Public Health Medicine
Developing an Advocacy Strategy for the STI/HIV Public Health Special Interest Group
Dr Breda Cosgrove
Specialist Registrar in Public Health Medicine
SSSTDI Spring Meeting
9th April 2016

2. STI/HIV Public Health Special Interest Group
Established in 2007
25 members
Specialists in Public Health Medicine and Surveillance Scientists
8 Depts. of Public Health & Health Protection Surveillance Centre
Hse hpsc logos
Sth re PH
No in group

3. STI/HIV Public Health Special Interest Group
Aims
To characterise and work to reduce the burden of STIs and HIV in the population
To provide a national public health forum for sharing expertise on the prevention, surveillance and control of STIs and HIV
Meet every weeks
Governance
Reports to Public Health Medicine Communicable Disease Group
Hse hpsc logos
Sth re PH
No in group

4. Why develop an Advocacy Strategy for the SIG?
Advocacy = “Active Support”1
Core competency of Public Health Medicine
Agreement that SIG well-placed to advocate
Terms of Reference
“To advocate for STI and HIV prevention, surveillance and control”
Leads: Dr Caroline Mason Mohan & Dr Breda Cosgrove
1. Collins English Dictionary Complete & Unabridged 10th Ed 2010

5. Advocacy Strategy Development Workshop
22nd October 2015 in HPSC
Half - day
Facilitated
11 specialists & surveillance scientists
Output of the workshop would form basis of advocacy strategy & action plan

6. Advocacy Strategy Development Workshop
Presentation “The Irish Policy Context for Sexual Health”
Changing landscape in Ireland
Previous Sexual Health Policies & Strategies
National Sexual Health Strategy – published the following week
4 group discussion & feedback sessions
Key Issues in Sexual Health
Key Stakeholders
Key Messages
Key Actions

7. Advocacy Strategy Development Workshop
Session 1
“From your experience, what do you feel are the key issues in sexual health?”
Session 2
“ Thinking about the key issues you have identified, who are the key stakeholders?”
Prioritisation Exercise
Identify 3 most important issues and 3 most important stakeholders

8. Advocacy Strategy Development Workshop
Session 3
“What are the key messages we want to get out to stakeholders?”
Session 4
“Thinking about the morning, what are we already doing and what can we do in the future, to advocate effectively in the field of sexual health?”

9. Advocacy Strategy Development Workshop
Participants recorded notes on flipcharts
Following workshop, transcribed flipchart & facilitators’ notes & results of prioritisation exercise circulated
Feedback from members
Themes developed

10. Emergent Themes
Public Health is well-placed to advocate to improve sexual health in Ireland
Closer links should be forged with key stakeholders
Quality-assured data to which we have access should be more widely disseminated
STI/HIV prevention, surveillance and control among MSM should be prioritised
Support for National Reference Laboratory for STIs
Support for integrated model of care for STI services

11. Action Plan 2015-16 Action Lead Timeframe Status 1
Submit abstract describing Advocacy Strategy Development Workshop to Autumn Meeting of SSSTDI
BC & CMM
26th October 2015
Abstract accepted for Spring Meeting of SSSTDI in April 2016 2
Publish article relating to sexual health in Epi-Insight at least quarterly
All
By end 2016
Article on provisional data on STIs 2015 in April edition 3
Invite key persons from Crisis Pregnancy Programme to speak to SIG DI 4
Contribute to sexual health communication activities e.g. SHAG week through SIG representative on National Sexual Health Strategy Communications Working Group FC 5
Acquire access to online training resources relating to sexual health for SIG
DI & FC 6
Collate available information sources on sexual history taking, with the view to distributing this to relevant persons BC 7
Provide input from a Public Health perspective into content of Sexually Transmitted Infections Foundation (STIF) course
AK & FC 8
Develop a position statement supporting the establishment of a National Reference Laboratory for STIs
CMM & MF 9
Appoint SIG representative to RCPI Advocacy Committee

12. Action Plan
Outline of planned active engagement of SIG in advocacy activities for coming year
Lead persons & timeframes specified
One-year timeframe
Review at end 2016

13. Conclusion Consensus that group has contribution to make as advocates
Workshop provided a foundation upon which to build advocacy strategy & action plan
Worthwhile process