9 March, 2021 INPUD is devastated to hear of the passing of Jude Byrne last Friday, especially with the knowledge that palliative pain treatment took time to be provided following her diagnosis. Jude was an extraordinary woman, mother, grandmother, friend and drug user activist who touched the lives of countless people around the world. She was a fearless advocate for people… Read More »In Loving Memory of Jude Byrne
1 MARCH, 2021 INPUD’s Monthly Digest is intended to keep our members and supporters informed about INPUD’s activities month to month, as well as updates from national/regional networks and relevant news in drug policy. The following updates cover February 2021. Before getting into the digest, we would like to thank everyone who has already taken the time to fill out INPUD’s Membership… Read More »INPUD Monthly Digest – February 2021
10 FEBRUARY, 2021 INPUD’s Monthly Digests are intended to keep our member and supporters informed about INPUD’s activities month to month, as well as updates from national/regional networks and relevant news in drug policy. The following updates cover January 2021. Download the Monthly Digest as a PDF by clicking here. GLOBAL ADVOCACY Global AIDS Strategy 2021 – 2026 After a lengthy… Read More »INPUD Monthly Digest – January 2021
5 FEBRUARY, 2021 Read the full report here. From the beginning, people who use drugs have been central to the development and delivery of HIV and harm reduction programmes. Communities, advocates, service providers and health professionals have all called for increasing the meaningful involvement of people who use drugs within HIV and harm reduction programmes, and research focused on high-income… Read More »Peer driven or driven peers? A rapid review of peer involvement of people who use drugs in HIV and harm reduction services in low‑ and middle‑income countries
1 February, 2021 In January 2021 more than 100 representatives of community and civil society organisations representing and working for people living with and affected by HIV, TB and Malaria held a series of three civil society pre-Partnership Forum virtual gatherings organised by the Global Fund Secretariat. These meetings offered an opportunity for us to strategize on collective community and civil society… Read More »Three Building Blocks to a New Global Fund Strategy
7 – 11 DECEMBER, 2020 The criminalisation of drugs is the basis of systemic issues faced by people who use drugs. Acting on decriminalisation is necessary to ensure all other reforms are achievable and sustainable. COVID-19 has shown us the dangers of failing to do so; within a lockdown environment people who use drugs are forced to rely on an… Read More »#PeersInThePandemic Demand 5 – Act on Decriminalisation
30 NOVEMBER – 4 DECEMBER, 2020 For too long harm reduction programs have emphasised social control over the right to health. Punitive measures in harm reduction have restricted people from accessing services such as OAT. COVID-19 has shown these restrictions have always been unnecessary. We demand an end to compulsory urine testing, age limitations, HIV/HCV testing, non-consensual discharges, mandatory attendance,… Read More »#PeersInThePandemic Demand 4 – NO to Punitive Measures in Harm Reduction
23 – 27 NOVEMBER, 2020 Peers are central to the COVID-19 response in their communities. We call for the prioritisation of peer-led responses by directing funding towards harm reduction services led by peers as community members, and to facilitate peer secondary distribution for essential harm reduction supplies such as new injecting equipment, naloxone distribution and overdose prevention education, etc. Hashtag… Read More »#PeersInThePandemic Demand 3 – Prioritise Peer-led Responses in Harm Reduction
16 – 20 NOVEMBER, 2020 In response to the pandemic 47 countries have offered take home OAT doses or delivery. As lockdown measures are lifted some states have rolled back these policies despite evidence showing they were an essential part of keeping people who use drugs safe and healthy during the pandemic. We demand take home OAT be adopted as… Read More »#PeersInThePandemic Demand 2 – Expand & Maintain OAT Take Home Doses
9 – 13 NOVEMBER We demand that states firmly declare support for harm reduction programmes by declaring these services as essential, ensuring they remain open during lockdowns, and directing public health funding towards the maintenance, delivery and expansion of services. Download social media graphics for this week here. Hashtag of the week: #HarmReductionIsEssentialPlease use this along with #PeersInThePandemic and #HarmReduction all week Sample social media text: Any… Read More »#PeersInThePandemic Demand 1 – Declare Harm Reduction as Essential