INHSU 2019 · Montréal
About INHSU
The International Network on Hepatitis in Substance Users
A member-based network for hepatitis C care in substance users
INHSU is an international, not-for-profit, member-based network dedicated to hepatitis C prevention and care for people who use drugs. The organisation unites clinicians, researchers, community workers and people with lived experience around a shared purpose, creating spaces where evidence, practice and personal experience meet. Membership places individuals within a global community that advances knowledge exchange, collaborative projects and shared standards of care for populations that are often underserved by mainstream health services.
The network exists because hepatitis C morbidity has been rising among people who inject drugs, and conventional responses have not kept pace with the scale of the need. By focusing specifically on hepatitis C in substance users, INHSU supports a shift toward integrated, low-barrier services that meet people where they are. The approach treats harm reduction, treatment access and community support as interconnected rather than separate concerns, recognising that stigma and discrimination continue to drive infection and mortality.
INHSU organises an annual international conference that gathers the network's community for scientific sessions, oral presentations, posters and symposia. The 2019 gathering took place in Montréal, Canada, with contributions spanning clinical care, research, public health and lived experience. Presenters share findings, methods and lessons from the field, while poster sessions and invited talks encourage early-career investigators and community practitioners to showcase their work and build collaborations across countries and disciplines.
Alongside the scientific programme, the conference offers a digital toolkit, recorded sessions and presentation materials so that delegates unable to travel can still follow the discussion. Travel guidance, accommodation details, visa information and local attractions help international participants navigate the host city, while scholarships and assistance schemes widen access for those facing financial barriers. A dedicated industry exhibition and affiliated organisational supporters reflect the network's commitment to sustained partnership in hepatitis C care for substance users.
INHSU — the International Network on Hepatitis in Substance Users — is an international, not-for-profit, member-based organization. The network brings together clinicians, researchers, community workers and people with lived experience around a single focus: hepatitis C prevention and care for people who use drugs.
The network exists because HCV morbidity has been rising among people who inject drugs, and because better outcomes depend on knowledge moving between settings and disciplines rather than staying in isolated programmes.
INHSU's activity centres on three connected pillars: the exchange of scientific knowledge, education for the hepatitis C workforce, and advocacy for the needs of people who use drugs and the services that treat them. The annual conference is the network's main forum for that exchange.
8th International Conference on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users
What the network works on
Three connected strands of work
Scientific knowledge exchange
Sharing research findings and practice evidence so that new approaches to hepatitis C care in substance users reach those delivering it.
Education
Building skills and capacity across the workforce, from clinicians and service providers to community workers.
Advocacy
Advocating for hepatitis C prevention and care responses that reflect the needs of people who use drugs.
INHSU 2019 in numbers
A large, well-attended gathering
Abstract submissions received for the 8th conference
Oral presentations delivered across the programme
Poster presentations on display
The wider network
Beyond the conference floor
INHSU is run as a membership network with its own committee structure, and the annual meeting is one part of a wider programme of activity. Satellite meetings and community days sit alongside the main sessions, bringing members together around specific working themes.
For the 2019 meeting in Montréal, associated gatherings included the INHSU International Prisons Hepatitis Network inaugural annual workshop, a Project ECHO workshop introducing the ECHO model, a community day, and networking receptions.
Read about the associated events or visit the conference home page for presentations, abstracts and recordings from INHSU 2019.
Key deadlines
Key Data to Be Presented was released on 23 August 2019.
Payment for registrations was required by Friday 6 September 2019 to guarantee attendance.
Go deeper
Related pages
- Home — INHSU 2019 conference overview, presentations, abstracts and recordings
- Register — registration information, rates and conditions
- Criteria — scholarship selection criteria for Academic, Practitioner and Community awards
- Events — satellite meetings, workshops and community events
- Location — venue, accommodation, travel and visa information
- Contact — organiser contact details and mailing list