Unlike in Russia or the Ukraine, where HIV epidemics have been largely driven by policies which put pressure on injecting drug users to share injecting equipment, HIV had been virtually non-existent among Hungarian injecting drug users over the past two decades.

This situation is now starting to change, and Hungary may follow the example of Greece and Romania, where we have seen major outbreaks of HIV among drug users in recent years. The Hungarian Centre for Epidemiology confirms that a number of new injection-related HIV transmissions have been registered this year. We have good reason to suppose that a major HIV epidemic is inevitable, if the government doesn't take immediate action to scale up harm reduction programs.

Unfortunately there is no political will and leadership to do so. On the contrary: The largest needle and syringe provider has announced that it will soon shut down, because of its desperate financial situation, and political attacks orchestrated by the local mayor.

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Hungary is facing an HIV epidemic among drug users

The governments of Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico and Switzerland, as well as the Global Commission on Drug Policy, organised a side-event at the 26th session of the Human Rights Council titled "The impact of the world drug problem on human rights." During this side-event, Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, made a speech on the human rights violations which continue to occur in the implementation of States' drug control policies.

In regards to violations of the right to life, Ms. Pillay asserted that the use of the death penalty for drug offences is inappropriate, as such offences do not constitute the "most serious crimes."

Concerning the right to health, Ms. Pillay criticized criminalization as it limits the accessibility of health services to drug users. Moreover, she stressed the importance of harm reduction measures and ensuring access to essential medicines.

Ms. Pillay proceeded to discuss violations of the prohibition of arbitrary detention and the prohibition of torture and other forms of ill treatment in drug policies, which include lengthy pre-trail detention for minor drug offences, use of corporal punishment, and drug detention and rehabilitation centres, among other examples.

Ms. Pillay encouraged States to respect the rights of indigenous peoples when creating laws and policies for substances used in traditional practices by interpreting the UN drug conventions with flexibility, by making appropriate reservations to the treaties, and if needed, by withdrawing and re-ratifying the treaties with the appropriate reservations.

Lastly, Ms. Pillay spoke about the rights of children. She stated that children who use drugs should not be subject to criminal proceedings, and that accurate and objective information on drugs should be available to them, along with appropriate harm reduction and treatment services.

Ms. Pillay concluded by urging all States to reconsider the decades-old approach to drug control from a human rights perspective, and suggested decriminalisation as a solution to reflect upon.

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

Speech at 26th session of the HRC by Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Check out our new infographic on how the war on drugs is failing in Poland. It's both a waste of taxpayer’s money, and a missed opportunity to improve society. In addition, there is no program of targeted education on psychoactive substances and harm reduction throughout Poland - that also has to be changed!

Drugreporter.net cooperation with the Polish Drug Policy Network, created this infographic to suport consensus on the need for major drug policy reforms in the country. Please share our infographic in English or Polish to spread facts and push decision-makers for drug policy change.

Infographic: Poland’s failed War on Drugs in numbers

Dozens of groups from across the region boycotted the Conference on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECAAC) for what they claim is Russia's increasingly hostile position towards harm reduction and outreach among injected drug users and men who have sex with men.

The fourth EECAAC was held in Moscow in May. Co-sponsored by the Russian government and UNAIDS, it sought to bring together academics, activists, technical partners and other stakeholders to trade ideas on best practice for prevention and treatment of the growing regional HIV epidemic. EECA is the only region in the world where HIV infections are continuously growing, due in large part to high transmission rates among injected drug users and other key populations.

But in decrying UNAIDS support for Russia's "murderous policies" and its work doing "the Russian government's bidding," many of the activist groups on the front line of the HIV response opted out in "solidarity with all those who suffer from repressions... and are not able to participate", and urged UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibé to do the same.

EECA regional HIV conference marked by boycott over Russian position on harm reduction

Doctors have called for better care to relieve and prevent the suffering of the chronically ill.

Palliative care – treating the pain, symptoms and stress of serious illness – is vital for patients but it is still misunderstood among health professionals, cancer sufferers and the public at large.

This type of treatment is also still not recognised as an essential component of health care and is not just for patients who have terminal illnesses, they say.

The concept of palliative care needs to be an integral part of the curriculum for medical students and health care professionals and the public needs to be trained about the necessity and importance of palliative care, said Dr Falah Al Khatib, an oncologist at Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai.

“There is absolutely room for improvement,” he said.

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Experts call for better care to stop the suffering of critically ill in the United Arab Emirates

The Open Society Global Drug Policy Program and the Open Society Initiative for West Africa invite applications for the 2014 West African Advocacy Fellowship Program on Drug Policy Reform. Fellows will be hosted by the drug policy organization Release in London.

This program supports those working in sectors related to drug policy in order to improve their advocacy skills and to enhance their capacity in working with the media on drug policy.

The fellowship seeks to add to a core group of existing high-profile drug policy activists in the West African region, including people not necessarily working full-time on drug-related issues.

West African advocacy fellowship on drug policy reform

State Health minister Phungzathang Tonsing urged the officials concerned of the department of AIDS Control to devise a strategy for the inclusion of Hepatitis C treatment program in the National AIDS control program.

The Health minister was speaking at the closing function, of Northeast Conclave at the conference hall of the Classic Hotel. The three day conclave was organised by the Manipur State AIDS Control Society in collaboration with the Department of AIDS Control.

Minister Phungzathang Tonsing said that Viral Load Testing facilities are provided in the State capital now and routine testing of People Living With HIV/AIDS is being conducted free of cost in every government health institute.

He also said everyone is aware that the HIV/AIDS situation in the State is at an alarming stage, although Manipur has a small population which accounts just 0.2 percent of the country’s total population.

Elaborating further on the subject, he said around 90 percent of the State’s population is aware of HIV/AIDS, its routes of transmission and preventive measures.

Health minister urges inclusion of Hep C treatment in NACP in India 

The street drug known as Special K is being labelled a game changer in the treatment of depression, with patients reporting major improvements after just one day of treatment.

In a trial of 19 patients carried out by the University of New South Wales, it has been found ketamine can help sufferers of depression who have failed to respond to other treatments.

Lead researcher Professor Colleen Loo says results so far show the drug's effectiveness at treating depression are almost instantaneous.

"It's been used for decades as a general anaesthetic to put people to sleep for operations. More recently, it's also been used in pain management and also just for light sedation," Professor Loo said.

Ketamine trial at UNSW reports success in treating depression with injections

The Justice Department is urging the U.S. Sentencing Commission to approve a measure that would make potentially thousands of non-violent drug offenders now serving time in federal prison eligible for reduced sentences.

Attorney General Eric Holder, who supported the commission's April action to cut prison time for certain future drug offenses, is supporting a proposal set for a vote next month that would apply the changes retroactively for current inmates.

The commission has estimated that full retro-activity could apply to more than 50,000 of the more than 215,000 inmates in the overcrowded federal prison system. But the Justice Department is advocating for more limited eligibility, about 20,000.

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Reduced sentences urged for non-violent drug offenders in the USA

Senator Vicente Sotto III on Sunday slammed a move in the House of the Representatives to legalize marijuana “for medical use,” calling it a backdoor move to legalize an illegal drug that will open the door to abuse among the youth.

Instead of patients benefiting from its medical use – primarily as a pain killer for patients with severely painful chronic ailments or with terminal diseases like cancer - the biggest winners would be the drug syndicates which are already making a killing from this illegal drug, Sotto said.

A Bill has been filed in Congress seeking to legalize marijuana use for medical purposes, citing studies abroad of its beneficial effects. The Bill seeks to create a regulatory body under the Department of Health that will oversee the use of cannabis for medical purposes. The move is gaining traction among lawmakers who favor of marijuana use for treatment of debilitating diseases.

But Sotto sees a far greater societal damage if marijuana is allowed even under the guise of medical use. “This is a big business for drug traffickers and if we legalize marijuana this will become a bigger business for them,” Sotto added.

Warning of a national disaster, Sotto said the immediate victims are the impressionable youth who may find that smoking pot is just as acceptable.

 Philippines Senator Sotto slams 'backdoor move' to legalise marijuana

On May 23, the World Health Organization passed its first ever stand-alone palliative care resolution. It calls on all member states to integrate palliative care and pain relief into their national health systems.

World Health Organization resolutions serve to encourage member states to make policy changes and to provide guidance on global health policy that should be implemented at the country level. This historic resolution calls on all member states to integrate palliative care and pain relief into their national health systems.

This resolution is important because it requires the WHO to develop a global implementation plan to:

work with national governments to integrate palliative care into national health policies;

educate and train health care professionals;

remove legislative barriers restricting access to opioid medications for pain relief;

ensure essential palliative care medicines are available;

provide palliative care across all levels of care including inpatient facilities and home care.

Why is a global palliative care plan needed?

More than 6 billion people worldwide have little access to pain relieving medications for the control of pain. The WHO estimates that of the 58 million people dying annually, about 80 percent would benefit from palliative care in their final days of life.

The world is experiencing a “silver tsunami,” with a growing number of older persons and a heavy burden of noncommunicable diseases like cancer, heart disease, and neuro-degenerative diseases. The majority of people who need palliative care live in low- and middle-income countries where there is little access to even basic palliative care services. Adults and children with life-threatening illnesses require treatment and palliative care at the same time, so their pain and symptoms can be managed and they and their families can receive the psychological, social, and spiritual support they need.

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A global victory for palliative care

A destructive threat is jeopardizing progress in West Africa and beyond: with local collusion international drug cartels are undermining our countries and communities, and devastating lives.

After looking at the evidence, consulting experts from the region and around the world, and visiting some of the most affected countries and communities in West Africa, the West Africa Commission on Drugs makes bold recommandations tackling this issue.

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