Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN) Formerly

1. 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

2. 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

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

4. 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

5. 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 Štampar School of Public Health)

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Challenges • Conceived as a self-funding mechanism but not yet sustainable • Those in need of TA often don’t 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

11. 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

12. Для контактов info@harm-reduction.org shona@harm-reduction.org www.harm-reduction.org