Kazajistán podría perder los programas de terapia de mantenimiento con opioides

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Kazajistán podría perder los programas de terapia de mantenimiento con opioides

20 febrero 2018

Tras una investigación caracterizada por numerosas irregularidades, violaciones de los derechos humanos e imprecisiones, el Gobierno de Kazajistán está dando marcha atrás con respecto a un programa esencial de reducción de daños. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

The outcomes of the assessment of the opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) programs, initiated by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2017, may lead to the complete halt of these programs in the country. Multiple violations of human rights were recorded during the assessment, it was conducted in breach of international bioethical standards. Based on that, the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA) and Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network appealed to United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) urging the Government of Kazakhstan to provide information on their plans to increase the availability of OMT as well as ensure the respect and protection of human rights of drug-dependent individuals and people living with HIV.

In 2017, only 2,69% of all injecting drug users on the outpatient register in Kazakhstan were receiving OMT, contrary to WHO’s recommendations of at least 20% coverage. OMT programs, initiated in Kazakhstan in 2008, under the recommendations from various international organisations, have not received unanimous support from politicians, law enforcement, and healthcare institutions. In June 2017, the Ministry of the Interior, backed by seven members of the parliament, requested immediate termination of OMT in Kazakhstan. The Prime Minister’s Office soon ordered an evaluation of the OMT programs, which was started at the end of September by the establishment of the Inter-Sectoral Working Group composed of 17 members. On 30 October 2017, the Working Group produced a Resolution with the conclusions that OMT is effective in Kazakhstan and it should be continued with some improvements regarding the accessibility and the quality of services.

However, some members of the Working Group were not satisfied with the positive recommendations and initiated an alternative research. With the help of the police, the new research was conducted without a proper methodology and gravely violating the rights of the OMT patients: a number of interviewed OMT patients were misinformed about the true aims of the research and were threatened or coerced into giving their statements, and they had to give urine for drug testing without the signing of consent forms.

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