Post on 08-Jan-2016
description
A Global Perspective on Harm Reduction
Maria PhelanHarm Reduction International
What is Harm Reduction?
‘Harm Reduction’ refers to policies, programmes and practices that aim primarily to reduce the
adverse health, social and economic consequences of the use of legal and illegal
psychoactive drugs without necessarily reducing drug consumption. Harm reduction benefits people who use drugs, their families
and the community.
www.ihra.net/whatisharmreduction
Harm Reduction International
Our vision is a world in which individuals and communities benefit from drug laws, policies
and practices that promote health, dignity and human rights.
We work to reduce drug related harms by promoting evidence based public health policy
and practices and human rights based approaches to drug policy through an integrated programme of research, analysis, advocacy and
collaboration with civil society partners.
Harm Reduction: coverage and barriers
Opioid Substitution TherapyGlobally, for every 100 PWID,
only 8 are receiving OST (range less than 1 to 61)
Needle and Syringe ExchangeGlobally, 2 needles per PWID
per month (range less than 1 to more than 200)
Issues for broadening the response
• Lack of harm reduction in prisons and pre-detention facilities
• Poor access to viral hepatitis vaccination, diagnosis, treatment and care
• Poor access to TB diagnosis and treatment • Injection-related bacterial infections• Overdose prevention and management• Responding to amphetamine-related harms
Resourcing the response• Huge barrier to scaling up
harm reduction• Current spend is far too low • $160 million spent on harm
reduction in 2007• Less than 7% of estimated
amount needed to address HIV among PWID
• Between 14 and 20 times more funds are necessary
• Huge increase in investment needed
Three cents a day is not
enough!
Impact
• Global State of Harm Reduction Project
• Advocating for Harm Reduction at International Level
• Network strengthening and collaborative work
Thank you!Publications available at www.ihra.net
Contact: maria.phelan@ihra.net