Harm reduction

Publications13 May 2026

Modelling the impact of cuts in US PEPFAR funding for opioid agonist therapy and needle and syringe programmes on drug-related deaths and HIV and hepatitis C transmission among people who inject drugs

Kipkoech et al. estimate that disruptions could lead to thousands of additional HIV and HCV infections among people who inject drugs.

Events

Accelerating access to opioid agonist maintenance therapy (OAMT): An essential public health intervention

Geneva, Switzerland / Online

20 May 2026

Held alongside the 79th World Health Assembly, this inter-ministerial dialogue will focus on accelerating access to opioid agonist maintenance therapy as an essential public health intervention.

News13 May 2026

The HIV/AIDS response in Eastern Europe and Central Asia cannot be treated as business as usual in the 2026 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS!

EECA communities and civil society call on governments to ensure that the 2026 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS protects community-led responses, removes punitive barriers, and sustains harm reduction.

News13 May 2026

The cost of punitive drug legislation

The Lancet underscores how punitive drug laws continue to fuel HIV risk, stigma and exclusion for people who use drugs, despite growing calls for reform.

News13 May 2026

From ‘warfare’ to welfare: Project aims to change the way Filipinos view and talk about drug use

Community-led harm reduction education in the Philippines seeks to replace fear-based drug narratives with evidence, empathy and respect for the rights of people who use drugs.

Events

International Overdose Awareness Day 2026

Global

31 August 2026

A global day to remember those lost to overdose, challenge stigma and call for evidence-based action to prevent avoidable deaths.

News13 May 2026

Access under fire: OST in wartime Lebanon

Lebanon’s emergency extension of vital prescriptions shows how flexible, rights-based health responses can protect people who use drugs subjected to war and displacement.

Publications13 May 2026

Hi-fun, homepas and incidental sex with drugs: a qualitative study developing a locally grounded definition of hi-fun (chemsex) compared to other sexualised drug use types practiced by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Thailand

Witzel et al. highlight the need for harm reduction, legal support and drug policy reform responses tailored to the realities of this specific sexualised drug use practice in Thailand.

Blog11 May 2026

Securitisation, narcoterrorism and a drug-free America: The US drug strategy takes a hard turn

The new US drug strategy revives 'war on drugs' rhetoric, sidelining harm reduction, human rights, and evidence in favour of securitisation, militarisation, and counterproductive abstinence-led approaches.

Events

Islam & drug policy — A webinar

Online

30 April 2026

Drawing on country experiences, this session discusses how Islamic perspectives can support harm reduction and people-centred drug policy reform.

Publications12 April 2026

New drug trends: Insights from focus group discussions - Civil society monitoring of harm reduction in Europe 2025

C-EHRN highlights shifting drug trends across Europe, noting the rising prevalence of polydrug use, potent synthetic substances, and the critical need for adapted harm reduction services.

News12 April 2026

Funding gaps undermining drug harm reduction in Italy and Spain

A cross-border investigation found that fragmented funding and systems limit services.

Explore more content