Eurasian Harm Reduction Network EHRN

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• Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN)
• Formerly
• Central and Eastern European Harm Reduction
  Network (CEEHRN)
• Mission
• To support, develop and advocate for harm
  reduction approaches in the field of drugs, HIV,
  public health and social exclusion by following
  the principles of humanism, tolerance,
  partnership and respect for human rights and
  freedoms

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Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN)

• Founded in 1997 in Warsaw
• Secretariat established in Vilnius, Lithuania
  2002
• 300 members GOs, NGOs, DU orgs, national and
  thematic networks
• Participative, democratic decision making
  mechanism

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Networking to

• Exchange news, information, skills
• Generate, identify new knowledge (research)
• Empower communities of practice
• Build partnerships
• Support advocacy initiatives

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Growing need for high quality technical
assistance

• Scale-up throughout region (GFATM, UNODC,
  national programs (EU))
• New organizations and people engaged in harm
  reduction
• Need to assess and improve quality, scope and
  scale of services
• Need for technical assistance training to build
  capacity

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Eurasian Harm Reduction Knowledge Hub

• Set up in 2004 with support of WHO, GTZ,
  OSI/IHRD
• Partnership between AFEW, IHRD and EHRN
• One of three hubs serving Eastern Europe and
  Central Asia (with Regional Knowledge Hub for
  HIV/AIDSCare and Treatment implemented by the
  American International Health Alliance (AIHA) and
  WHO Collaborating Centre for Capacity Building in
  HIV Surveillance Andrija tampar School of Public
  Health)

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Knowledge Hub Services

• Consultancy, mentoring
• Program/service assessment
• Trainings (WHO certified) over 500 people
  trained
• Advanced seminars
• Study visits
• Internships
• Development of training programs tools
• Development of information materials
• Monitoring and Evaluation

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Knowledge Hub Training Modules (WHO Certified)

• Principles and Practices of HR (updated in
  partnership with CARHAP)
• Project Management and Evaluation (updated
  expanded in partnership with CARHAP)
• HIV Treatment for IDU
• Outreach and Peer Approaches
• Needle and Syringe Programming (updated in
  partnership with AFEW and UNODC)
• Substitution Treatment

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Knowledge Hub Training Modules (WHO Certified)

• Harm Reduction in Prison
• Advocacy (updated in partnership with CARHAP)
• Sex work
• Preventing Burn Out Syndrome
• Modules under development
• Overdose
• Hepatitis
• HR services for women

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HRKH successes

• Knowledge and skills of network members used
  (info materials, skills)
• Preventing re-inventing the wheel
• High impact of services (mid term evaluation
  shows)
• High quality services repeat clients
• Bringing new knowledge to the region
• Forging new partnerships

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Challenges

• Conceived as a self-funding mechanism but not yet
  sustainable
• Those in need of TA often dont have financial
  resources for it
• Technical assistance is not planned for
  adequately at grant writing stage
  (quantity/quality)
• Technical assistance is often not outsourced
• The challenge of balancing free vs. paid services
• Core funding needed but regional initiatives
  under-funded

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Next steps

• Linking hub activities to network activities to
  insure continued support
• develop relations with sub-hubs in the region
• Develop relations with UNAIDS TSF
• video based interventions
• linkage with CSAT
• Continued promotion and fundraising

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• info_at_harm-reduction.org
• shona_at_harm-reduction.org
• www.harm-reduction.org