WHO Operational guide for needle and syringe programmes for people who inject drugs - Global webinar

When? Thursday, 5 February 2026. 11:00 – 12:15 CET

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Background

People who inject drugs remain disproportionately affected by HIV, viral hepatitis, overdose, and other injection-related harms. Needle and syringe programmes (NSPs) are a cornerstone of evidence-based harm reduction and are proven to prevent HIV and hepatitis C transmission, reduce injection-related infections, and serve as a critical entry point to broader health and social services.

Despite decades of evidence and strong WHO recommendations, NSP coverage remains insufficient in many countries. Structural barriers such as criminalization, stigma, discrimination, and under-financing continue to limit access, coverage, and quality.

This new WHO operational guide translates normative guidance into practical, step-by-step direction for planning, implementing, monitoring, and scaling up NSPs across diverse contexts, with a strong emphasis on community leadership, human rights, and health system integration.

Webinar objectives

The webinar will present the key WHO recommendations and guiding principles for effective implementation of NSPs, introducing the five-module framework outlined in the new operational guide. It will highlight the central role of community-led and peer-based approaches, explore common implementation challenges and enabling factors – such as policy, financing, and health system integration – and share global perspectives on how NSPs contribute to achieving the 2030 HIV and viral hepatitis targets.

The webinar is intended for national and sub-national programme planners and policymakers, service providers delivering NSPs and harm reduction services, and community-led organizations and networks of people who use drugs. It will also be relevant for donors and technical partners, as well as researchers and advocates working in HIV, viral hepatitis, overdose prevention, and drug policy.

Speakers and moderator

• Tereza Kasaeva, Director, Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections, WHO
• Antons Mozalevskis, Technical Officer, Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections, WHO
• Annie Madden, International Network of People who Use Drugs
• Kanishk Gupta, PATH
• Lisa Maher, Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales
• Thet Soe Aung, Médecins du Monde
• Ehab Salah, UNODC
  
• Moderator: Niklas Luhmann, Île-de-France Regional Health Agency (ARS)