Eurasian Harm Reduction Association is proud of being an active partner of the conference and invites to the sessions where our organization members will make presentations or be the organizer of the session.
The whole programme of the conference You may find here
10th of November
Plenary opening session S1 Quo vadis: the development of drug policy and harm reduction embedded
Keynote speech:
Moderated discussion – Ricardo Bapiste Leite, Global Parlamentarians Network Unite
Panellists: Thomas Kattau, Council of Europe, Pompidou Group Leverage the power of data to advocate for drug policy reform:
NOTE: For those, who cannot attend the conference in person, we offer free live streaming of selected sessions. https://www.harmreductionconference.eu/index.php/live-stream-register/ |
11th of November
Major Session 1 - Drug policy: decriminalisation – the next logical step for Europe?
Organiser: International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) Chair: Eliza Kurcevič (EHRA)
The criminalisation of people who use drugs (PWUD) compounds drug-related harms and worsens health and welfare outcomes worldwide. However, a growing number of jurisdictions have decriminalised the possession of some or all drugs for personal use, including many pioneering examples from Europe. When done in line with the evidence and partnership with PWUD, decriminalisation has the potential to improve public health and human rights dramatically. However, when sub-optimal models are created or models prejudice some drugs over others, this potential can be missed, and new problems can emerge. Decriminalisation policies have always been permitted within international drug conventions. There has also been increased acknowledgement and promotion of this approach in recent years – most recently from a common position for the entire UN system. In this session, the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) invites you to explore the arguments for decriminalisation and some of the complex and challenging questions which remain. Europe can become a global champion for effective, ‘gold standard’ decriminalisation approaches – just as it was for harm reduction adoption decades ago.
Speakers:
NOTE: For those, who cannot attend the conference in person, we offer free live streaming of selected sessions. https://www.harmreductionconference.eu/index.php/live-stream-register/ |
Parallel Session 3 – Girls power in HR2: women leadership to ensure access to Harm Reduction
Organiser: Re Generation, Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA), Metzineres, ENPUD Chair: Irena Molnar, RE Generation
Women who use drugs are still frequently overlooked in their access to broad harm reduction meaning health and social care despite the complex harms, stigmatisation and structural violence they face. A substantial increase in gender-sensitive services is necessary to appropriately address their needs . Women who use drugs are often caught up in a vicious cycle of gender-based violence and drug use where the stress and trauma of violence perpetuate the women’s drug use, and the actions and behaviours associated with drug use expose them to heightened risk of violence which grows tremendously due to COVID-19 restrictions, lack of job and lockdown. The reproductive and health rights, protection of standards of living and parental rights of WWUD are violated . In response to discrimination, right violation and injustice activists from all over the Europe build the Narcofeminist movement. Narcofeminists support the ideology of FEMINISM, intersectional feminism in particular, which focuses on the intersection of different female identities and tries to look at how women and others, including trans and gender non-conforming people with different experiences face discrimination. Womxn- lead harm reduction organisations are developing gender sensitive and gender transformative services, all over the broad Europe manage to improve access to health, legal protection and social care services for women who use drugs in case of violence – directly via improving a service of their own or building partnerships and providing capacity building for service providers. Objective of the session is to promote womxn-lead harm reduction and activism and to provide interactive platform for experience sharing about: During the panel artist from the Metzineres team will be doing a graffiti or editing the animated movie, with the new ideas that could come from the panel
Speakers: · Why women-led initiatives and services are needed and How do they work? Aura Roig, Metzineres Mothers who use drugs: stigmatised and parenting, Alexandra Gurinova, Deutsche Aids Hilfe Panel discussion |
Parallel Session 4 – Monitoring and quality standards for harm reduction
Organiser: C-EHRN Chair: Dagmar Hedrich, consulent
Importance of civil society monitoring and Quality Standards for policymaking and advocacy
Quality Standards (QS) are crucial to improving harm reduction services’ quality and bridging the gap between science and practice. However, the extent and ways in which QS for harm reduction are known, implemented in daily practices, and monitored, varies substantially.
Speakers: |
Parallel Session 8 – NPS and mental health: humbug or an alarming situation?
Organiser: Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA) NPS and mental health issues: humbug or an alarming situation? The EECA example. In recent years, the growing use of new psychoactive substances has exacerbated the threats to the health of people who use drugs. These threats include overdoses, more risky drug use practices (such as frequent injections, sharing drug use equipment, etc.), the spread of HIV and other infectious diseases, and mental health issues. Research conducted with people who use new psychoactive substances in 8 Eastern Europe and Central Asia region countries showed that one of the most common consequences among people who use new psychoactive substances is mental health issues. These include paranoia, aggression, psychosis, panic attacks, parasuicide and other mental health issues. The research respondents stated that mental health issues were rarely a case while using ‘traditional’ drugs. However, it has become an alarming issue in the last few years, especially with the use of synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones. Even though sometimes mental health issues can occur due to drug use, it does not mean that this is the only and primary factor that can cause mental health issues. This session aims to exchange views and discuss how to accurately respond to mental health issues among people who use new psychoactive substances without harmful consequences to the community, in the context of the current social, political, and economic situation in countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The objectives are:
Speakers:
Panel discussion on possible harm reduction and public health response to mental health issues among people using drugs, specifically among those who use NPS |
Parallel Session 10 – Objects or subjects? Youth in drug policy and harm reduction services
Organiser: YODA Objects or subjects? Youth in drug policy and harm reduction services Protecting children and youth is often a crucial argument of policymakers to adopt and implement harsh drug regulations. However, on the other hand, young people are hardly involved in a meaningful way in the policymaking processes on local, national, and international levels. Even more importantly, in many countries, the youth is one of the key vulnerable populations with limited access to various services, especially harm reduction. This session will address the controversies mentioned above in several European countries. The participants will discuss various dimensions of the youth access to harm reduction, from legal barriers and public policy to media narrative and public opinion. Focusing on the differences between Western and East-Central European political systems, economic development and culture, and engaging the audience in a discussion, we will try to find some answers regarding the determinants of youth access to harm reduction in various regions in Europe.
Speaker: Eliza Kurcevič (EHRA) |
Major Session 7 - Monitoring and implementation of Quality Standards in Harm Reduction in CEECA
Organiser: Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA)
Monitoring and implementation of Quality Standards in Harm Reduction – state of art, challenges and the way forward During the transition from the Global Fund to state funding harm reduction (HR) due to harm reduction being accepted only as HIV prevention, medical and not social service, the governments tend to support only the medical part of the program. As a result, available packages and quality of harm reduction services while transitioning are decreasing even if services are supported. Indicators accessing the efficiency of HR programs in the CEECA region are usually numeric (for example, number of clients, number of people tested, number of syringes/condoms distributed) and lack qualitative data. Accessibility, client satisfaction with the program, and the influence on the client’s life (quality of life, reintegration into society) are not part of the evaluation. Session objectives:
Pre-recorded presentations for the session: We suggest all session participants to watch video presentations in advance to have a live discussion during the session.
Facilitated discussion with panellists Question 1: What is the ultimate goal of harm reduction based on quality standards (QS), IDUIT and other international recommendations: HIV or HCV response? Health and wellbeing of people using drugs? Human rights protection? Social justice? Question 2: Who defines the actual available package of harm reduction services, and what does it depend on?
Question 3: Role of community and civil society in monitoring and advocating for the quality of harm reduction services? Panellists: Machteld Busz, Netherlands |