10-12 November 2021 – Prague, Czech Republic – From 10-12 November 2021 the 5th European Harm Reduction Conference took place in Prague.
The Conference showcased the latest developments in the area of harm reduction, as well as innovative practices developed in different countries. Professionals from the community, politicians and policymakers, representatives of UN Agencies, civil society organizations and activists, academia and media representatives, and those who work in the broader area of harm reduction attended the conference in Prague. The focus of the discussion at the Conference concentrated on key population groups such as people who use drugs, sex workers, and people living with HIV. It discussed drug policy in Europe, social inclusion, harm reduction in prison, COVID-19 response and the role of civil society.
The UNODC HIV/AIDS Section participated in the 5th European Harm Reduction Conference in Prague and co-organized together with the European Network of People Who Use Drugs (EuroNPUD) the Satellite II event on “HIV prevention, treatment and care among and with people who use stimulant drugs”. The HIV/AIDS Section also participated in a pre-conference study visit to SANANIM service center in Prague for people with different types of addition.
8 November: A study visit to the needle and syringe programme (NPS) center of SANANIM, where effective assistance and support to people at risk of different types of addiction has been provided since 1990, was organized by EuroNPUD and targeted its members – namely, community representatives from various European countries. SANANIM consists of 16 main treatment facilities and offers several programmes and services for people with addiction. Participants of the study visit learned about a broad spectrum of specific services provided to people who use drugs at the SANANIM NPS Center, including psychological counselling and psychiatric consultations, medical services, free testing for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases and testing and vaccination for COVID-19.
10 November: The Satellite II event, on “HIV prevention, treatment and care among and with people who use stimulant drugs”, was organized by UNODC in partnership with EuroNPUD. This event highlighted strategies for addressing HIV among people who use stimulant drugs, with added focus on further key populations that also use stimulant drugs (men who have sex with men, women who use drugs, sex workers, and transgender people). The session was opened by Monica Ciupagea, MD, Expert on Drug Use and HIV at UNODC HIV/AIDS Section, and conducted both by her and by Mat Southwell, a consultant from Coact (an international technical support agency). 
Both Monica Ciupagea and Mat Southwell acted as trainers and previewed the forthcoming training module on HIV prevention, treatment and care among and with people who use stimulant drugs, to be adapted for use on the UNODC e-learning platform. In addition, the event’s panel included guest contributions from Magdalena Harris, PhD, Associate Professor, Sociology of Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; David Pešek, Manager, SANANIM Drop-In Centre; and Aleksey Lakhov, Director of development, Charitable Fund “Humanitarian Action”. The Satellite II event aimed to increase knowledge and improve capacity of participants in developing effective strategies to ensure that people who use stimulant drugs, and people who are living with or at risk of HIV infection, have access to HIV services. The topic of this Satellite II event attracted a high number of attendees, including community representatives from different countries, professionals working in harm reduction, policymakers, activists and academia. The event was complemented by a question and answer session in which panelists answered numerous questions from the audience, demonstrating a considerable interest in the topic.
UNODC HIV/AIDS delegates were also supported in attending the larger conference, and in participating in various sessions based on expected interest and impact. Bilateral meetings between the UNODC and stakeholders from the UNODC Civil Society Organizations’ Group on Drug Use and HIV also took place on the sidelines of the conference.
