Harm reduction investment in the European Union

Publications

Harm reduction investment in the European Union

26 April 2017
Harm Reduction International (HRI)

Europe is the birthplace of harm reduction, and the region where the successes of this approach in averting epidemics can be most plainly seen. It includes harm reduction champion countries, that have long invested in their national harm reduction programmes and implement a wide array of interventions.

However, austerity, international donor retreat and poor political support are severely limiting harm reduction responses in several countries in the EU. In some states, there is a funding crisis for harm reduction which must be addressed if public health emergencies are to be avoided.

This report summarises research findings from Harm Reduction Works!, providing a snapshot of harm reduction investment in eighteen EU member states. It includes findings from spend tracking research in the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Estonia, Portugal, Hungary and Lithuania.

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