Basic HTML Version
Sunday 11 and Monday 12 May 2008 – DAY ONE/TWO –
Daily Update
– 3
‘If you look at harm reduction
compared to the 1980s, it is
clear how far we have come,’
says Professor Gerry Stimson,
IHRA’s executive director, who
will open the conference this
morning.
Back then, the first harm
reduction projects were mainly peer-
led needle exchange and outreach
projects, in Europe, Australia and
Canada. Since those early days,
governments from Spain to Iran and
Brazil to China have adapted harm
reduction packages to suit their
particular cultural, religious and
political contexts.
‘The approach is now approved
by the United Nations and other
major international groups,’ says
Professor Stimson. ‘The scientific
debate has also been won – harm
reduction works.’
Nevertheless there is much to
do, and he acknowledges that
‘there are still many obstacles in
our way – legal restraints, countries with coverage deficiencies, unresolved issues and key
international opponents.’
The conference will address these issues, setting the agenda for a global approach. The
opening session speakers include Louisa Degenhardt from the Reference Group to the United
Nations on HIV and Injecting Drug Use – the group that advises UNODC, UNAIDS and the World
Health Organisation on global trends in injecting drug use. This research gives vital clues on
where harm reduction is most needed but least established – vital public health intelligence in
terms of targeting medical treatment and supplies, as well as harm reduction information.
Latin America is one of the regions that, so far, has not been served well enough by the harm
reduction community. As Graciella Touze will explain, non-injecting drug use is causing significant
harm, especially for those smoking or snorting cocaine and crack cocaine.
Lanre Onigbogi will share experience of the already HIV-ravaged region of Sub-Saharan Africa,
where injecting drug use has been increasing, and where there are clear opportunities to prevent
its spread and introduce life-saving harm reduction measures.
As well as the established harm reduction agenda relating to opiates, Professor Stimson
emphasises that this year’s conference is very much about broadening the focus to non-injecting
drug use, stimulant use, alcohol use and tobacco use.
‘I hope the packed conference agenda reflects this,’ he says. With the broadening agenda in
mind, he adds: ‘IHRA looks forward to being a driving force for the next two decades and beyond.’
To complement the opening session, IHRA has launched its first major Global State of Harm
Reduction report, which provides a snapshot of the current situation worldwide in terms of
injecting drug use, HIV and hepatitis C and harm reduction responses. Pick up a copy at
IHRA’s booth on level 1.
‘Harm reduction has come a
long way – but we’re ready
to go much further’
Overdose
management to
feature in drug
users’ congress
A workshop on managing overdose
by using naloxone will be held on
Sunday – part of the third International
Drug Users Congress organised by
INPUD (International Network of
People who Use Drugs).
Sharon Stancliff, MD of the Harm
Reduction Coalition, NY, USA, will
deliver the training workshop to user
activists from around the world.
Overdose prevention training has been
offered in various part of the United
States since 1999, including the Harm
Reduction Coalition SKOOP project in
New York City. After a training of 10-20
minutes, more than 21,000 users and
their associates have received naloxone
kits and have reported over 2,700
overdose reversals.
Heroin (and other opioids) overdose
is a leading cause of death among
users, and nearly half of heroin users
have experienced a non-fatal overdose.
These deaths are most common among
established users, are rarely instant, and
are often witnessed. Naloxone (whose
brand name is Narcan) is seen as a
highly effective and safe, injectable
medication that will reverse the effects
of heroin in two to eight minutes.
Participants in the conference
workshop will be given the standard
SKOOP overdose prevention training
and taught to understand common risk
factors, recognise an overdose – and
take action by alerting emergency
medical services, giving mouth-to-
mouth resuscitation, and administering
naloxone. Certificates of completion
and naloxone will then be provided.
‘Twenty minutes and a naloxone
ampoule is all it takes to save the life of
a loved one – it’s so simple and so
cheap and we should deliver this
intervention to every service user in
every drug service across the UK,’
says Jimi Grieve, chair of the National
Users Network and of the Conference
Consortium, who will be taking part in
Sunday’s congress.
The 3rd International Drug User
Congress will be held on Sunday at
10.00–15.00 in Room 3, level 2.