In April 2022, the EHRA Steering Committee voted to adopt the EHRA Position on the quality of harm reduction services. The document was developed by a specialized expert working group of the Association members together with the EHRA Steering Committee. This is the first significant step in the implementation of Objective 2.1. of EHRA Strategy ” Contribute to improving the quality and comprehensiveness of existing harm reduction services in the countries of the CEECA region.” Now the group is working on practical steps to implement the position, the necessary arguments and tools that will help us all improve the quality of services.
Key provisions:
EHRA stands for defining harm reduction as a comprehensive approach with positive influence in health and social spheres and for setting measurable targets for the impact of harm reduction on health, social and legal aspects of the life of people who use drugs.
EHRA calls for organizing discussions with various groups of stakeholders to redefine harm reduction for the CEECA region and to use the renewed understanding of harm reduction outcomes to find new allies for harm reduction accessibility, quality and sustainability.
EHRA calls for a focus on client-centeredness of harm reduction and its responsiveness to the health and social needs of people who use drugs as the cornerstone of harm reduction quality assessments.
EHRA calls for coordinated harm reduction quality standards in countries of the CEECA region that are shared by all communities, service providers and domestic and global funders and encourages all of these stakeholders to invest in the quality of harm reduction services.
As an association of harm reduction service providers and advocates, EHRA will promote the establishment of a system of voluntary certification based on the assessment of the compliance with regional quality standards and the provision of technical assistance to increase the quality of social support and the integration of components of harm reduction.
Full text of the Position could be found HERE.