Western Public Health Unit publication in BMC Public Health

The Western Public Health Unit (WPHU) are proud to share our publication in BMC Public Health, a peer reviewed journal, titled –

Equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics: factors associated with the uptake of rapid antigen testing in Victoria, Australia, January – February 2022.

Our research was prompted by the absence of a practical measure to understand rapid antigen testing uptake, during a time marked by a significant burden of COVID-19, pressure on the laboratory PCR testing system and limited availability of rapid antigen tests. We used the novel measure described in the study to understand patterns of uptake, and factors associated with the uptake of COVID-19 rapid antigen testing, to determine which groups in our population could benefit from targeted public health intervention to improve access to testing. 

Moving forward, the measure will remain in the WPHU Epidemiologists toolkit for application in future outbreaks. We also hope these findings can support advocacy for equitable public health policies. 

Publication

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