PILS has been a leading NGO in Mauritius for 25 years, defending the rights of people living with HIV and key populations. PILS advances harm reduction, integrated care, and community mobilisation, towards a society free of HIV-related stigma, ensuring access to quality health, protecting human rights, and driving regional and global change through advocacy, partnerships, and innovative services.

PILS es una ONG líder en Mauricio desde hace 25 años, que defiende los derechos de las personas que viven con VIH y de las poblaciones clave. PILS impulsa la reducción de daños, la atención integral y la movilización comunitaria, hacia una sociedad libre de estigma relacionado con el VIH, garantizando el acceso a una salud de calidad, la protección de los derechos humanos y promoviendo el cambio regional y global mediante incidencia, alianzas y servicios innovadores.

Depuis 25 ans, PILS est une ONG de premier plan à l’île Maurice, défendant les droits des personnes vivant avec le VIH et des populations clés. PILS fait progresser la réduction des risques, les soins intégrés et la mobilisation communautaire, vers une société sans stigmatisation liée au VIH, garantissant l’accès à des soins de qualité, la protection des droits humains et favorisant le changement aux niveaux régional et mondial grâce au plaidoyer, aux partenariats et à des services innovants.

Prévention Information et Lutte contre le Sida (PILS) 

Punitive drug policies undermine the health and welfare of our communities as a whole. But their destructive impacts have been disproportionately borne by people already experiencing multiple and intersecting forms of oppression, including poverty, patriarchal violence, racism, ableism and xenophobia. Drug policies that prioritise punishment and criminalisation feed off and potentiate these socio-structural barriers to health and wellbeing, leading to an unequal distribution of resources and harm. Drug policy reform can greatly contribute to addressing and repairing these inequities, and provide pathways for our communities to thrive. On the occasion of #WorldDayOfSocialJustice, join us for a discussion on the role of drug policy reform in advancing social justice, and how IDPC’s Strategy seeks to translate this imperative into collective action. With 

Drug policy reform at the service of social justice

The International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) is the headline conference in the region, and an important opportunity to advance the HIV response. However, people who use drugs and the harm reduction community have been consistently marginalised and under-represented at these events.

Despite the 2019 conference (in Kigali, Rwanda) having more than 8,500 delegates and an objective to “Rethink gender norms, human rights-based approaches and inclusion towards equitable and accessible HIV and AIDS services including key populations”, there was once again very little focus on harm reduction, and poor visibility for people who inject drugs. This crucial aspect of the HIV response was restricted to only two satellite events and around five poster presentations.

We are calling on ICASA to proactively address this imbalance, starting with preparations for the 2021 conference.

Proposed Objective: To raise the profile of evidence-based harm reduction programs and promote integrated rights-based and stigma free interventions and policies for Africans who use drugs.

It is estimated that there may be as many as 2 million people who inject drugs in Africa, of whom more than 11 percent are living with HIV. Yet services remain woefully unavailable, and only a few African countries have adopted this approach – most often with external funding, and through NGOs rather than state provision. According to UNAIDS, people who inject drugs account for 8 percent of all new HIV infections in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 37 percent of all new infections in the Middle East and North Africa. This is a population that cannot be overlooked if we are to end AIDS in Africa.

Furthermore, the conference in Uganda is an opportune moment for this conversation – the host country itself has begun to embrace the harm reduction approach in response to its own domestic drug use challenges.

60+ NGOs working in Africa call upon ICASA 2021 to centre the importance of harm reduction in the HIV response

Experts and ministers on drug control, health and population from over 20 African countries met in Cairo, Egypt from 29th July to 2nd August for the 3rd Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Specialized Technical Committee on Health, Population and Drug Control (AU-STC-HPDC).

As part of the general deliberations, the drug control meeting sought to appraise and review the implementation of the current AU Plan of Action on Drug Control 2013-2017 (which was later extended to 2019), and to adopt its successor, the AU Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (2019-2023).

Among the participants, there were 25 civil society representatives, the highest number of civil society representatives to participate in such a meeting. Through the support of the PITCH project, IDPC, Youth RISE Nigeria and the UNODC Civil Society Team, we were able to bring African civil society delegates to the meeting and facilitate a week of interaction – to ensure that CSOs had the space to engage with each other, and more importantly to take part in the thematic discussions with member states. The first three days were also spent reviewing various documents including the AU Plan of Action and an African Civil Society Common Position on Drugs, as well as looking at the next steps post the 2019 UN Ministerial Declaration that was adopted in March 2019 in Vienna.

In all, we had CSOs from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe, ensuring that most of Africa was represented. Having had the opportunity to comment on an earlier draft of the AU Plan of Action at the SA Drug Policy Week in October 2018, it was fulfilling to see the Plan finally adopted by member states on Friday, 2nd August. It was significant because for the first time, the words ‘harm reduction’ were kept in the document, and more importantly ‘alternatives to punishment’ were also mentioned throughout. There is even mention in the Plan to supporting ‘the local production of controlled substances and plants for scientific and medical use, in line with the international drug conventions’.

Governments within the continent have always made efforts to address the drug situation through the adoption of various methods and strategies over the years. The African Union continues to demonstrate strong commitment to addressing the drug situation in the region by facilitating the availability of a wide range of evidence-based treatment options, including opioid substitution therapy (OST). The new AU Plan of Action also calls for harm reduction services to be made available, which is a great step taken by AU member states. It also includes a commitment to review and collate drug policies across the region and continuous support of the epidemiology network and its research across the region.

Now the hope is that this Plan of Action will pave the way for member states to adopt a different stance away from punitive approaches, which have consistently failed and exacerbated problems related to drug use by creating a system that marginalises already vulnerable communities. The real work begins now, to convince member states to follow the Plan of Action they have ratified by formulating local national drug master plans that will follow the recommendations that have been laid out.

The energy and passion felt during last week in Egypt, being among African civil society representatives who are committed to pushing for drug policy reform, was nothing but amazing. It is safe to say Africa does not have only one voice, it has many. But we are ready to unite to advocate for changes that can and will benefit citizens all over the continent.

Largest ever civil society delegation attends the African Union meeting on Health, Population and Drug Control in Cairo 

Two main needs emerged from this revision. First, the importance of strengthening operational systems and linking services. The idea is to strengthen links with existing partners in the implementation of programmes which are already underway, to ensure that those reached on the field are redirected to the services offered by PILS or the government. On the one hand, PILS has revised its internal organisation in order to develop synergies between the various functions that comprise the association today. Particular attention is given to collaborative work, with the setting up of several committees within the association, so that everyone can contribute as much as possible to decision-making.

On the other is the strengthening of community systems and the involvement of communities at all stages of business processes and decision-making. This is reflected in the development of our community health services in 2017. This unit already offers de-medicalised and community-based screening services, as well as counseling and referral care services. In addition, a patient committee composed of community leaders will be set up, which will be at the heart of the reflections on the needs, priorities, implementation, management and evaluation of these services.

Our actions and efforts, I am sure, will be supported by the new government in Mauritius and the Minister of Health, who has demonstrated his willingness to work with civil society. We will never cease to say that only full collaboration between the different actors in the fight against AIDS can ensure an effective national response. We are also delighted with the reintroduction of the methadone induction program announced by the Minister of Health, and we are pleased that those who have been waiting for some for the past two years can finally participate in this harm reduction program.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.

Prévention Information Lutte contre le Sida (PILS): Annual Report 2016

“We call for the scale-up, strengthening and funding of harm reduction services for people who use drugs across Eastern Africa, as well as the creation of enabling policy environments under which these evidence-based services can operate and achieve their potential impacts.”

This is the call from Members of Parliament (MPs) from several countries from Eastern Africa, through the Arusha declaration that was signed last week at the Regional High Level Policy Dialogue Meeting on HIV and Harm Reduction in Eastern Africa, held in Arusha, Tanzania. MPs from Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda and Burundi gathered to discuss policies with regards to Harm Reduction services aimed at delivering health and social services to people who use drugs, as well as creating an enabling environment for these services to be delivered. Officials from Seychelles and Ethiopia were also present.

Available HIV prevalence data shows that there is an immense disease burden among people who inject drugs (PWID). Nationwide prevalence of HIV in PWID ranges from 5.8% in Seychelles to 16% in Zanzibar, to 18.3% in Kenya and as high as 44.3% in Mauritius. HIV prevalence among PWID is also uneven within countries and can be very high in some areas.

Thus, as stipulated in the 2016 United Nations Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS, “some countries and regions have made significant progress in expanding health-related risk and harm reduction programmes”, but also noted “the lack of global progress made in reducing transmission of HIV among people who use drugs, particularly those who inject drugs”

The objective of the Arusha meeting was thus to create a space for policy makers and Harm Reduction advocates to meet and discuss. Organised by KANCO (Kenya Aids NGO Consortium), this meeting had technical partners like IDPC and UNODC to provide information on best practices globally, and in the region as well. Discussions that led to the drafting of the Arusha Declaration.

According to Hon. Agostinho Neto, MP from Kenya, “This meeting offered the means to discuss and have a joint voice regarding Harm Reduction for people who use drugs. It also created a network of policy makers opened to the creation of Harm Reduction related legislation”. According to him, discussions about Harm Reduction have been going on for a while with partners talking to themselves. However, this meeting offered the means for technical partners to talk with policy makers, discussing what is possible and not possible in different countries. “The good thing about getting advocates the manner that we did during the meeting, is ensuring that the advocates, i.e. the policy makers themselves, believe in the message. We have seen the level of buy in for the advocates. We now have synergies between the partners and the policy makers”.

MPs have thus committed themselves, through the Arusha declaration, to advocate for relevant policies promoting access to health services towards people who use drugs, for the implementation and scaling up of such services, and for the creation of an enabling environment for these services to be implemented. They also committed to encourage regional studies on drug use, and health.

The organisers of the meeting are now hoping that this declaration will be the basis for the formulation of a regional policy on Harm Reduction in East Africa. Most importantly, this meeting has been, according to Hon. Neto, “a means of converting MPs from awareness creation to the point of knowledge”, thus creating a network of policy makers who believe in Harm Reduction.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.

The Arusha Declaration: East African Parliamentarians pushing for Harm Reduction services

LONDON (2nd August 2016) – Civil society groups from across the globe, 

have called on UN drug control authorities to urge an immediate stop to the extrajudicial killings of suspected drug offenders in the Philippines. Since 10th May 2016, more than 700 people have been killed by police and vigilantes in the Philippines for being suspected of using or dealing drugs, as a direct result of recently-elected President Duterte’s campaign to eradicate crime within six months.

Until now, however, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) – the UN agencies responsible for global drug control – have failed to condemn the Philippines for these gross human rights violations committed in the name of drug control.

375 non-governmental organisations today sent an open letter to the UNODC Executive Director, Mr. Yury Fedotov, and the INCB President, Mr. Werner Sipp, asking them to take immediate action aimed at putting a stop to the extrajudicial killings.

“We are calling on the UN drug control bodies to publicly condemn these atrocities in the Philippines. This senseless killing cannot be justified as a drug control measure”, said Ann Fordham, Executive Director of the International Drug Policy Consortium. “Their silence is unacceptable, while people are being killed on the streets day after day”, she continued.

The open letter asks the UNODC and the INCB to call on President Duterte to:

Immediately end the incitements to kill people suspected of using or dealing drugs,

Act to fulfil international human rights obligations, such as the rights to life, health, due process and a fair trial, as set out in the human rights treaties ratified by the Philippines,

Promote evidence-based, voluntary treatment and harm reduction services for people who use drugs instead of compulsory rehabilitation in military camps, and

Not to reinstate the death penalty for drug offences.

Senior Research and Communications Officer

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Key data on the Philippines drug policy crisis:

President Rodrigo Duterte was elected President on 30th May 2016 and began his presidential term on 30th June. He declared a war on drugs in which both police and civilians are encouraged to kill drug user/traffickers

704 people have been killed between the 10th of May 2016 to the 29th of July 2016 (ABS CBN News)

Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar said 60,000 drug dependents have surrendered to authorities (Daily Mail).

Statements by international human rights groups:

Amnesty International, 10th May: Philippines: New President should break cycle of human rights violations, not compound them

Amnesty International, 30 June: Philippines: President Duterte must break the cycle of human rights violations

Human Rights Watch, 25th July: President Duterte’s Mixed Messages on Rights in the Philippines

Human Rights Watch, 12th July: Philippine Officials Shrug at Surge in Drug Killings

Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates & Citizen’s Council for Human Rights, 14th July: Stop the bloodshed, human rights defenders tell Duterte

Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates & Citizen’s Council for Human Rights, 14th July: Extra Judicial Killings: Normalizing Criminality Under the Guise of Peace and Order

Drug Policy Alliance, 25th July: Philippines President Makes Good on Pledge to Mass Murder People Who Use or Sell Drugs, Calls for "No Mercy" in State of the Nation Address

Asian Network of People Who Use Drugs & International Network of People Who Use Drugs, July: Philippines: An Entreaty to End the Killing, to End the Poverty and Exclusion

Over 300 NGOs call on the United Nations to take immediate action on the hundreds of extrajudicial killings of suspected drug offenders in the Philippines

Civil society groups from all over the world have released a statement condemning governments for failing to acknowledge the devastating consequences of punitive and repressive drug policies as they prepare for a UN summit on the issue next month.

In April 2016, world leaders will gather in New York to decide on the future of global drug policy, at the first UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the topic in two decades. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for this meeting to be a “wide-ranging and open debate that considers all options.” But as the preparations continue this week in Vienna at an annual meeting of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, it is becoming clear that the ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to rethink the failed ‘war on drugs’ is unlikely to deliver.

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