Hands-On Infection Control

International Infection Preventionist Day
2024-04-05
International Infection Preventionist Day is an annual observance on the first Friday in April that celebrates the crucial role of infection preventionists in safeguarding public health.

15th Annual Sydney International Endoscopy Symposium (SIES 2024)
2024-03-21 - 2024-03-22 | Hilton Sydney, 488 George Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
The 15th Annual Sydney International Endoscopy Symposium (SIES 2024) will be held at Hilton Sydney on 21-22 March 2024.
The program includes focused lectures, hands-on equipment demonstrations, and live endoscopy cases beamed to Hilton Sydney for nursing delegates. Some of the featured topics include GI bleeding, perioperative nursing in interventional endoscopy, EMR-ESD setup, ERCP basics, biliary and luminal dilation/stenting, update on infection control in gastrointestinal endoscopy and much more! The full program is available to view here.
To register click here.

ACCPA Care & Ageing Well Expo Melbourne principal sponsor Mercy Health
2024-02-10 09:30 - 2024-02-11 16:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre, 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Victoria, 3006, Australia
Whether you are preparing for your future or caring for a loved one, the Melbourne ACCPA Care & Ageing Well Expo principal sponsor Mercy Health is the perfect place to start, showcasing the products, services and information available to assist you in the decision-making process.
Hear from experts across a range of aged care topics on the Uniting AgeWell Stage, including caring for those with dementia, accessing care, seniors safety and more. The Uniting AgeWell Stage will provide a continuous stream of information from industry experts.
With over 80 aged care exhibitors, including those in Residential Care, Home Care, Retirement Living, Equipment & Service Providers, Health Care, Legal and Financial, Medical, Consultants, Technology and Support Groups.
The expo is free to attend, to register for tickets visit https://events.humanitix.com/care-and-ageing-melbourne-2024

Primary Healthcare Nurses Day
2024-02-07
The first Wednesday in February each year is Primary Health Care Nurses Day, where we celebrate the amazing work that nurses do outside of the hospital setting, in aged care, community, general practice, custodial, schools and a range of other primary health care settings.

Immunisation Coalition 25th Annual Scientific Meeting
2024-02-04 - 2024-02-05 | Parkroyal Melbourne Airport, Tullamarine, Australia

World AMR Awareness Week 18 - 24 November 2023
2023-11-18 - 2023-11-24
World AMR Awareness Week formally Antimicrobial Awareness Week (AAW) is celebrated from 18 – 24 November each year. The theme for 2023 remains Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care supports WAAW in Australia by providing a range of resources and coordinating initiatives to support the effective use of antimicrobials in preventing and containing antimicrobial resistance and local activities across the week. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/antimicrobial-stewardship/world-amr-awareness-week#:~:text=World%20AMR%20Awareness%20Week%20(WAAW,18%20%2D%2024%20November%20each%20year.

Perioperative Nurses Week 12 - 18 November 2023
2023-11-12 - 2023-11-18
PNW 2023 starts this week! 12–18 November, the theme is H.E.A.R.T.

Australian Food Safety Week 11 - 18 November 2023
2023-11-11 - 2023-11-18
The Australian Food Safety Week will be held from 11 to 18 November 2023. This year’s theme will be Food safety – dollars and sense. The 2023 campaign will focus on adapting to the increasing cost of living by making savings through reducing food waste and growing your own food while ensuring the food you and your family eat remains safe. The Food Safety Information Council has released a community package of social media tiles, posters, a sample media release for your event as well as a quiz is now available.

ACCPA National Conference - The Aged of Change
2023-10-25 08:00 - 2023-10-27 17:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Adelaide Convention Centre, Australia

Clean Hospitals Day
2023-10-20
The objective of Clean Hospitals Day, celebrated each year on October 20, is to raise awareness and foster engagement among healthcare facilities around the world.

Whooping Cough Day - Stay Up-To-Date. Vaccinate!
2023-10-18
With the theme “Stay Up to Date. Vaccinate!”, Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA) announced the creation of Australia’s inaugural Whooping Cough Day on November 8. The day highlights the ongoing threat posed by whooping cough (pertussis) and encourages Australians of all ages to remain up to date with booster vaccination.
The campaign reminds people to check their whooping cough immunisation status, provides practical information about boosters and how to access them, and emphasises the importance of adult, pregnancy, and childhood protection.
Campaign key points

Adults require booster vaccines at least every 10 years to stay up to date with whooping cough protection.
More than 80 per cent of Australian adults cannot recall ever receiving a whooping cough booster.
More than half of all cases of whooping cough occur in adults.
Some people – including those with asthma – are at increased risk of severe illness and being hospitalised with the so-called ‘100-day cough’.
Whooping cough is not only dangerous, but also highly contagious. An infected person may unwittingly spread whooping cough to up to 17 unvaccinated people.

To get involved, visit the Immunisation Foundation of Australia website. Support Whooping Cough Day by sharing the campaign toolkit which includes a poster/flyer, educational print out, animated campaign video and social media tiles with key facts.

Infection Prevention and Control Week
2023-10-15 - 2023-10-21
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Week is held during the third week of October each year to highlight the importance of infection prevention. Resources will be available on the Commission website closer to the time.

World Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Day
2023-10-02
World MRSA Day is observed on the 2nd of October each year, the anniversary of MRSA’s discovery by Professor Patricia Jevons when she first observed Staphylococcus aureus that was resistant to the antibiotic Methicillin. The purpose of the day is to educate the wider community as to the significance that Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has on health and health care systems around the world.
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a part of normal skin flora; the bacteria is not usually a cause for concern. S. aureus can cause infection; however, it is readily treated with regular antibiotics. MRSA, however, is a strain that is resistant to an antibiotic called methicillin which makes treatment difficult. MRSA can be multi-drug resistant in addition to methicillin and is an important pathogen of concern, monitored by health care systems around the world.
There are two modes of transmission: Direct and Indirect. Direct contact is when an individual encounters MRSA by contaminated hands from an infected person and Indirect contact is when an individual touches a surface contaminated with MRSA. MRSA can be found in the nose, throat or on the skin of carriers. In immunocompromised individuals there is a heightened risk of infection with an increase of morbidity and mortality.
The prevention of MRSA infection involves several strategies:

Identification of carriers which involves screening of high-risk consumer groups
Diligent hygiene practices, such as handwashing and use of alcohol-based hand rubs
Correct utilisation of personal protective equipment (PPE)
Suitable cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and medical equipment
Good antimicrobial stewardship practices, to ensure antimicrobials are prescribed and administered correctly.

Unfortunately, due to the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare facilities around the world suspended screening programs for MRSA which has led to an increase in hospital acquired MRSA infections. The increase was made worse due to staff shortages and increases in patient loads.
World MRSA Awareness Month – October

World Rabies Day 2023 - All for 1, One Heath for All
2023-09-28
World Rabies Day is celebrated every year on the 28th September – the anniversary of the death of Louis Pasteur. This year, the theme focuses on the need for collaboration of animal and human health professionals in eliminating rabies to achieve the global goal of ‘Zero by 30’ – global elimination of dog-mediated rabies deaths by 2030, the most common cause of transmission. While Australia is fortunate that it does not have rabies, Australia still needs to remain alert to the potential risk of rabies reaching its shores.

World Patient Safety Day - Engaging patients for patient safety
2023-09-17

Wounds Awareness Week 4 - 10 September 2023
2023-09-04 - 2023-09-10

2023 FSRACA National Conference
2023-08-09 - 2023-08-11 | Centrepierce at Melbourne Park, South Australia, Australia

Healthcare Leaders Forum 2023
2023-08-03 | The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, 1 Martin Pl, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
Arriving at a critical juncture for the nation’s healthcare community, the Healthcare Leaders Forum will be returning on 3 August 2023.
This is an opportunity to hear exclusive keynote addresses containing the latest, first-hand, fit-for-context healthcare digitisation strategies.
The Forum leverages chat and live-polling interaction tools to ensure you are helping shape the conversation, not just spectating. As our operating environment corrects and the sector begins to unlock, the Forum presents an opportunity for the nation’s healthcare leaders to connect, combat shared challenges and leverage opportunities emerging from the upturn economy.

The Healthcare Leaders Forum secures national and global speakers of unmatched quality and immense authority. Our attendees are charged with shaping the conversation, armed with an array of real-time engagement tools.
Every session is independently moderated to facilitate candid discussion and debate, and the program is designed to provide attendees with valuable opportunities to connect in person on the business that matters.

2023 Adult Immunisation Forum
2023-06-22 | Pan Pacific Hotel, 207 Adelaide Terrace, Perth, WA, 6000, Australia
The 7th Adult Immunisation Forum (AIF) will take place at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth on June 22, 2023, immediately following the PHAA’s Communicable Diseases and Immunisation Conference. The meeting is ideal for GPs, practice nurses, and other immunisation specialists. The vaccines to be covered will include pneumococcal disease (PCV 15,20,21), RSV in adults, pertussis in older people, herpes zoster, influenza, Covid-19, Strep A, travel vaccines, as well as paediatric vaccines.Chaired by Prof Robert Booy, confirmed speakers include Professors Tony Cunningham, Peter Richmond, Chris Blyth, and Paul Van Buynder. Information is being updated regularly on the website (visit https://www.immunisationcoalition.org.au/events/adult-immunisation-forum/). It is also an ideal networking opportunity.It is free to attend, with refreshments and lunch provided.This forum is brought to you by the Immunisation Coalition. For more information, go to the website, or contact info@immunisationcoalition.org.au

Communicable Diseases & Immunisation Conference 2023
2023-06-19 - 2023-06-21 | Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre, 21 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, Western Australia, 6000, Australia
The Communicable Diseases & Immunisation Conference 2023 will focus on how we can enhance communicable disease control and better prevent disease through immunisation in Australia and our region. Particular attention will be paid to social and cultural determinants of health, community engagement and implementation issues specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and marginalised groups.

GENCA National Conference 2023
2023-05-19 | Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre, 21 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, Western Australia, 6000, Australia
Join us for the GENCA 2023 National Conference – to be held on 19-21 May 2023 at the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre.
This year’s event will feature a range of interesting and relevant topics from International and local speakers, two social networking events where you can reconnect with like-minded industry professionals, and an exhibition where you will get the opportunity to come face to face with suppliers and connect with key people in your industry.
Don’t miss this chance to come together and embrace the opportunity to change and be challenged.

NCIRS webinar: HPV in 2023 – latest vaccine recommendations and research
2023-05-05 12:00 - 13:30 (Asia/Shanghai) | Virtual (Online)
The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) is presenting a webinar on the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, including topics about the use, effectiveness, and safety of the vaccine.
The panel will discuss the updated schedule for Australia and its implications, offering tips for maintaining high vaccine coverage, and discuss initiatives designed to eliminate cervical cancer globally.

14th Annual Sydney International Endoscopy Symposium (SIES 2023)
2023-03-16 - 2023-03-17 | Hilton Sydney, 488 George Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
The 14th Annual Sydney International Endoscopy Symposium (SIES 2023) will be held at Hilton Sydney on 16-17 March 2023.
The program includes focused lectures, hands-on equipment demonstrations, and live endoscopy cases beamed to Hilton Sydney for nursing delegates. Some of the featured topics include GI bleeding, perioperative nursing in interventional endoscopy, EMR-ESD setup, ERCP basics, biliary and luminal dilation/stenting, update on infection control in gastrointestinal endoscopy and much more! The full program is available to view here.
To register click here.

Melbourne Care & Ageing Well Expo
2023-02-11 08:00 - 2023-02-12 17:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre, 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Victoria, 3006, Australia
The Melbourne Care & Ageing Well Expo showcases comprehensive living solutions for older Australians and features speakers with a wealth of knowledge and advice for getting the most out of your later years. Hear from experts across a wide range of aged care topics such as ageing well, aged care finances, home care planning, caring for those with dementia, cyber crime and more.

ACORN 2022: Virtual Conference Series (Day 5)
2022-11-26 08:00 (Asia/Shanghai)
In light of the ongoing COVID situation, ACORN have opted to pivot the ACORN 2022 International Conference of Preoperative Nursing to a virtual conference series of five single day events spread over the year. The fifth and final session will be held online on 26th November 2022 on Health and Wellbeing.

14th HITH Society Annual Scientific Meeting
2022-11-16 - 2022-11-18 | Twin Towns Conference and Function Centre, 2 Wharf St, Tweed Heads, New South Wales, 2485, Australia
The annual Hospital in the Home (HITH) Conference has become a cornerstone of the HITH Calendar and is the must-attend HITH event of the year, and this will be even more so given it will be our first face-to-face event since 2019. The conference will strive to offer plenty of networking opportunities to meet and interact with colleagues from Australia and New Zealand, as well as our invited speakers, sponsors and exhibitors. The HITH society wishes to hold this event face-to-face for all the major benefits this offers both attendees and sponsors.
The theme of the conference is Extending the Reach of HITH focusing on In-Reach and Out-Reach. The HITH Conference organising committee aims to broaden the people engaged in HITH and the linkages with non-traditional HITH services. The program will explore sub-themes of: Women & Children; Staffing and models of care; and Profile, linkages and engagement.

ACIPC 2022 Conference
2022-11-13 08:00 - 2022-11-16 17:00 UTC | International Convention Centre Darling Harbour, Sydney, NSW, Australia
The 2022 ACIPC International Conference will take place 13 – 16 November in hybrid format, with the in-person component of the event to be held at the International Convention Centre, Sydney. The theme for this year’s conference is: Leading through the expanding horizons of IPC.

Food Safety Week 2022
2022-11-12 - 2022-11-19
Australian Food Safety Week 2022 will be held from 12 – 19 November 2022. The theme will be ‘Food safety – raw and risky’ covering the risk of food poisoning from raw or minimally cooked meat, poultry, fish, eggs and vegetables as well as the risk of possible parasite infections. the Food Safety Information Council will also be celebrating its 25th anniversary of educating the Australian community in food safety. A community package containing social media tiles, posters, sample media release, a quiz and event registration will be available in September.

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) week 2022
2022-10-16 - 2022-10-22
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) week is celebrated during the third week of October each year to coincide with International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW).
The theme for IPC week every year is Infection prevention and control is safe health care for everyone, all the time. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care supports IPC Week by providing a range of resources to support effective infection prevention and control initiatives and local activities across the week.

International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) 2022
2022-10-16 - 2022-10-22
International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) was established in 1986 to highlight the importance of infection prevention and control each year. This year IIPW 2022 takes place from 16 to 22 October 2022.
This year’s theme is “The Future is Infection Prevention: 50 Years of Infection Prevention” to highlight decades of infection prevention throughout 50 years and inspire the next generation of ICPs to join the fight.
