Harm reduction for social development: Strengthening health, workability, and inclusion

Millions of people who use drugs are excluded from healthcare, employment, housing, and social protection, which reinforces cycles of poverty, ill health, and marginalisation. However, harm reduction strategies—such as needle and syringe programmes, supervised consumption sites, naloxone distribution, drug checking, and opioid agonist therapy—have been proven to improve not only health outcomes but also employment, education, and community engagement.

International bodies including WHO, UNAIDS, and UNODC support harm reduction, including in prisons, as essential for preventing disease and saving lives. Economically, these programmes reduce pressure on healthcare systems, prevent costly emergencies, and promote workforce participation. Evidence from countries like Vietnam and Canada shows participants experience improved productivity and stability.

Community-led initiatives like Metzineres in Spain and Housing First in the US show how combining harm reduction with peer support, creativity, and income generation fosters dignity and inclusion. These approaches challenge stigma and help rebuild trust between marginalised populations and society.

To be effective, harm reduction must be embedded into national social protection and global development strategies. It contributes to broader goals, including poverty reduction, gender equality, and climate justice—positioning harm reduction not only as a public health tool but as a pathway to social justice and sustainable development.

This session, co-hosted by Harm Reduction International and Open Society Foundations, will explore how harm reduction strategies improve health, enable economic inclusion, reduce poverty, foster social inclusion, and support gender and climate justice.

Speakers:

Catherine Cook, Harm Reduction International
Aura Roig, Metzineres
Jenna-Rose Astwood, International Coalition for Drug Policy Reform and Environmental Justice

Contact: ajeng.larasati [@] hri.global