Dr Campbell Aitken
Research Fellow
Working groups
Background
Campbell joined the Burnet Institute in 1995. Since that time he has conducted research on a broad spectrum of topics in the fields of drug use and blood-borne virus epidemiology. With particular expertise in injecting drug use and the hepatitis C virus, Campbell is the author or co-author of over 75 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Qualifications
- 1993: PhD, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- 1989: BSc (Hons), Monash University, Australia
Appointments
- Senior Research Fellow, Burnet Institute, Victoria, Australia
- Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
- CEO, Express Editing Writing and Research
Reports and other work
-
A public health initiative for steroid users in Victoria.
A public health initiative for steroid users in Victoria. -
The impact of a police crackdown on a street drug scene: evidence from the street.
This article examines the repercussions of a police crackdown on a street heroin market in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, as perceived by individuals involved in the market. While the data indicate that 'Operation Clean Heart' achieved its aim of diminishing the visible aspects of the street drug scene, they also suggest that the drug market quickly adapted to the new conditions, rendering the impact of the operation superficial and short-lived. Additionally, the article argues that the operation had several unintended negative consequences, some of which pose potential risks to public health.<br/><br/>The negative outcomes inferred from the data include the partial displacement of the drug scene to nearby metropolitan areas, the discouragement of safe injecting practices and safe disposal of needles and syringes, and an increase in incidents of violence and fraud. These outcomes may outweigh the perceived positive impacts of the operation, which were achieved at significant public expense. The article concludes that police crackdowns are not suitable responses to illicit drug problems. Instead, it advocates for approaches aligned with longstanding Australian policy, which incorporate and balance demand reduction, supply reduction, and harm reduction strategies.
The impact of a police crackdown on a street drug scene: evidence from the street. -
2019: Australia’s progress towards hepatitis C elimination annual report
Hepatitis C poses a significant public health concern in Australia, with over 170,000 individuals estimated to be living with chronic hepatitis C infection as of the beginning of 2017. Until the availability of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for all Medicare-eligible Australians with hepatitis C infection on March 1st, 2016, there was a growing population of individuals living with hepatitis C. This trend was accompanied by an increasing burden of liver disease, rising rates of liver cancer, and premature deaths attributed to long-term hepatitis C infection.
2019: Australia’s progress towards hepatitis C elimination annual report
Burnet publications
View 110 moreProspective study of retention in opioid agonist treatment and contact with emergency healthcare following release from prisons in Victoria, Australia
Emergency Medicine Journal
M. David Curtis et al
High rates of resumption of injecting drug use following release from prison among men who injected drugs before imprisonment
Addiction
M. David Curtis et al
Emergency department presentations in the first weeks following release from prison among men with a history of injecting drug use in Victoria, Australia: A prospective cohort study
International Journal of Drug Policy
Reece Cossar et al
Past projects
View 1 more
The elimination of hepatitis C as a global public health threat
This project addresses critical knowledge gaps in Australian and global efforts to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030.
PATH: Prison and Transition Health cohort study
A unique prospective study of people incarcerated and released from prison with recent histories of injecting drug use in Australia.
Social Networks and the Hepatitis C Virus
This project found that people who'd cleared an hepatitis C infection were more likely to acquire a second virus than those who had never been infected.