INPUD and the International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) are proud to announce this year’s recipients of the Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award: Yarelix Estrada and Rita Musa!
Now in its fifth year, the Jude Byrne Award is a joint initiative between INPUD and INHSU that honours the legacy of legendary drug user activist Jude Byrne, a pioneering advocate for the human rights of people who use drugs. Jude was a founding member of INPUD and acting Chair of the Board for close to a decade, in addition to holding numerous roles with the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) as well as serving as a board member of INHSU. Few people have left such a lasting impact on the movement as Jude.
This year the award received 37 submissions from women around the world, reflecting the leadership of women in the global harm reduction community. Each applicant was independently reviewed by a panel of women working across harm reduction and drug user health and includes women who use drugs. For the first time this year, the panel also included judges who have been previous recipients.
As this year’s recipients, Yarelix and Rita will embark on a nine-month personalized mentorship program delivered by INPUD, with $10,000 USD each allocated to supporting participation in the program. Additionally, they will receive a full scholarship to attend the INHSU 2026 conference which will take place from 6-9 October 2026 in Prague.
Read more about Yarelix and Rita below, and stay tuned over the coming week to hear more about both recipients and their future plans:
Yarelix Estrada (she/her/hers)
- Location: Bogotá, Colombia / United States
- Role: Harm Reductionist, Researcher and Drug Checking Co-Lead
- Organisation: Remedy Alliance for the People
Yarelix Estrada is a first-generation Central American harm reductionist, organizer, researcher, and person who uses drugs, based in Bogota, Colombia, who has spent the last 11 years working across grassroots organizing, public health, psychedelic communities, and global drug policy. She currently works with Remedy Alliance for the People as the Drug Checking Co-Lead supporting the expansion of drug checking programs throughout the Americas and has experience ranging from local policy advocacy to United Nations engagement and psychedelic community organizing. Her work is grounded in a simple belief: the people most affected by a problem should help lead the solutions. She is the director of the New York City Psychedelic Society, is on the Board of Directors for the Source Research Foundation and is an organizer with the National Survivors Union and the Alliance for Collaborative Drug Checking.
Asked what receiving the Jude Byrne award means to her, Yarelix answered:
“Receiving this award feels so meaningful because it comes from a community that I am part of and a community that I deeply care about. Harm reduction has shaped who I am – as a person who uses drugs, an organizer, a public health worker. This feeling of being a part of something larger than myself and feeling my values reflected through harm reduction have come from all the activists, mentors and women who came before me – people who fought for our communities, our bodily autonomy and our right to exist when it was more difficult and dangerous to do so. Receiving the Jude Byrne Award feels like an invitation to continue the story of powerful women who have poured their hearts into this work and fought for who gets to hold power, expertise, and leadership in harm reduction. It’s truly an honor to have the opportunity to carry forward the work of drug user activism.”
In terms of what Yarelix hopes to learn through the opportunities that come with the award:
“I would love to deepen my ability to connect organizing, advocacy at different levels, and writing for mobilization. There is so much knowledge and experience that exists in our communities, but it isn’t always documented, shared, or available in a widespread way. Through mentorship, I’d like to strengthen my writing, advocacy and leadership so that I can become better at carrying forward our lessons and histories as we strategize the direction and future of our movement. I’m especially interested in learning how to build stronger global connections and how we continue caring for ourselves while facing increasingly difficult political conditions.”
Finally, Yarelix discussed the impact she hopes to make through her work:
“I want to help build a future where people who use drugs—particularly women, Black and Indigenous people, the poor and working class, and queer people are not only welcomed into harm reduction spaces but are consciously leading them. I hope to continue supporting the creation of programs that treat their workers, people who use drugs, and their communities with respect, supporting the development of and growing alongside other leaders, and strengthening networks that center dignity, autonomy, and collective care. Ultimately, I hope to contribute to the tools that we use to remind ourselves that we are capable of changing the conditions that we live in, that every life is a life worth working to save while we’re still fighting this overdose crisis (and the impacts of late-stage capitalism and climate crisis), and cultivate more community where we can find space for joy and imagination.”
Rita Musa (she/her/hers)
- Location: Nigeria
- Role: Team Lead / Programme Director, Women’s Harm Reduction and Advocacy
- Organisation: Autamaimasa Health Foundation (AMHF); National Secretary, Drug Harm Reduction Advocacy Network (DHRAN)
Rita Musa is a Nigerian Woman in her mid thirties who uses drugs and has over ten years of experience working in harm reduction, advocacy, and human rights, with a special focus on supporting women who use drugs and other marginalized groups in Nigeria. She is the founder of Autamaimsa Health Foundation (AMHF), a drug users women-led organization that aims to protect and promote the rights and well-being of women who use drugs. Rita also helped establish the Drug Harm Reduction Advocacy Network (DHRAN), where she has served as National Secretary since the beginning. Additionally, she has been involved in forming the Women Alliance Movement for Transformation, Emancipation, and Education in Nigeria (WANTEEN), a group of women-led organizations working together for change.
Rita has contributed to important research projects, including the Integrated Biological and Behavioral Surveillance Survey (IBBSS) and Key Population Size Estimation (KPSE) studies in Nigeria. She is dedicated to promoting evidence-based approaches and has shared her insights through several papers on the challenges faced by women who use drugs. Rita also serves on the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) committee for developing Medicated Assisted Treatment (MAT) guidelines in Nigeria, supporting efforts to improve harm reduction policies and services.
Asked what receiving the Jude Byrne award means to her, Rita answered:
“Receiving the 2026 Jude Byrne Emerging Leadership Award makes me feel truly recognized. It motivates and encourages me to continue my advocacy work and provides an opportunity to share valuable insights with my community of women who use drugs (WWUD). It also allows me to show them the possibilities and achievements that WWUD can reach.”
In terms of what Rita hopes to learn through the opportunities that come with the award:
“I hope to gain strategic insights through this mentorship, enhance my capacity and skills, and foster personal growth and confidence. Additionally, I aim to expand my network by connecting with others and exploring new opportunities for collaboration.”
Finally, Rita discussed the impact she hopes to make through her work:
“I aim to advance and promote effective harm reduction practices that improve the health and well-being of women who use drugs and their children. By reducing discrimination and increasing awareness through evidence-based advocacy, I seek to influence policy, advance human rights, and strengthen the resilience of women who use drugs.”