South Africa: UN expert welcomes report of police directive supporting harm reduction programmes

The Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, today welcomed reports of a directive by the South African Police Service to end the unnecessary confiscation of syringes and needles.

“This development supports recommendations I have previously made in my reports with regards to harm reduction policy tools, to include Needle and syringe programmes as an essential component to the right to health and the right to benefit from scientific progress and its applications,” Mofokeng said.

The Special Rapporteur encouraged all states to desist from law enforcement practices that hamper the right to health, including the seizure or destruction of injection equipment and the prosecution of healthcare and harm reduction service providers.