Research on illicit drugs expanding into Mildura
Research into illicit drugs led by Monash Rural Health and Burnet Institute was recently launched in Mildura with presentations to community service organisations and the wider community.
The Methamphetamine and Injecting Drug Use Cohort Study (MIXMAX) will produce new evidence on the nature and extent of illicit drug-related harms and associated healthcare costs in Australia, and the effectiveness of interventions to address them.
Associate Professor Bernadette Ward from Monash Rural Health and Professor Paul Dietze from Burnet Institute travelled to Mildura and spoke with staff at Mildura Base Public Hospital, Mallee District Aboriginal Services and community members at a public event on Wednesday 8 November.
Information was shared such as how often people who use methamphetamines are admitted to hospital and what services have been shown to be effective in rehabilitation and harm minimisation.
Speaking with Mallee District Aboriginal Services’s Social and Emotional Wellbeing Team (pictured above), it was evident that there is a significant amount of illicit drug-related harms in the Mildura community with the clients they work with, and they welcomed the opportunity to assist with the research.
Associate Professor Bernadette Ward noted how well services work well together in Mildura.
“One of the great things about the Mildura region is that services generally work together well, and there's a real commitment to try and support people. Stakeholders in this area are keen, they want more research. Getting the community onboard is crucial, though.”
The MIXMAX study, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, combines two established studies - the SuperMIX study of people who inject drugs and the VMAX study on long-term patterns of methamphetamine smoking in metropolitan and regional Victoria - to generate the largest active cohort of people who use drugs in Australia.
Study recruitment will begin in Mildura in 2024, with several hundred participants expected to be recruited. Associate Professor Bernadette Ward expressed the importance of the study working over a longer period of time.
“Traditionally, in places like Mildura, small rural towns, there may have been some research done, but it's usually a one-off. What we’re now launching into is a five-year study in Mildura, where we follow people for five years.”
The research team will continue to liaise with public and private sector providers (such as health, community and justice) about the progress of the study.