We hope that the Board reiterated its call on governments to commit to respecting people living with HIV and AIDS during its mission to the Russian Federation, undertaken just days after World AIDS Day.
Disappointingly, it seems that the INCB only met with NGOs focusing in the areas of drug prevention and rehabilitation, and failed to discuss drug policy with NGOs focusing on harm reduction.
On 20-22 November 2017, the INCB sent a delegation to Switzerland to discuss its drug policy and the country's implementation of the UN drug conventions.
Efforts to harmonise drug legislation in the region could contribute to the health and wellbeing of West Africans, but punitive approaches remain dominant.
An independent scientific analysis on injecting drug use and HIV prevalence has offered further detail on global statistics, which should prompt urgent political commitment.
0n 7th September 2017, the Ugandan Ministry of Health authorized the Uganda Harm Reduction Network and Community Health Alliance Uganda to pilot needle and syringe programmes in a few designated health facilities in the country.
The INCB has continued its strong condemnation of extra-judicial killings in the Philippines - a positive example of its ongoing transition to a more progressive force.