Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN) is a regional network uniting organizations, initiative groups and private persons from countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA) and participating in development of harm reduction approaches in the sphere of drugs, HIV, public health in compliance with principles of humanity, tolerance, partnership and respect of human rights and freedoms

Mission of Eurasian Harm Reduction Network is to promote dissemination of humane and scientifically based approaches of reduction of harm from drug use in order to keep and support health and provide human rights protection on the level of individual, community and population in general.

EHRN strategic objective

Enforcement of advocacy in the region of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA)  by efforts of members of EHRN, civil society, PUD community and our allies/partners of national, regional and international level so that:

Financial and institutional stability of harm reduction programs, which comply with needs of PUD, their communities and society in general are achieved.

The formation of non-repressive and supportive legal environment and law enforcement practices, providing possibility for PUD to exercise their rights is contributed to.

EHRN role in the region

 Interests’ representation

• EHRN, as a regional organization, representing interests of harm reduction specialists and activists in CCECA region and interacts with Eurasian Network of People who Use Drugs (ENPUD) in promotion of interests of community of people who use drugs.

Communication, informational exchange and partnership development

• EHRN, as a regional network organization, promoting informational exchange and communication among its members and other interested parties with participation of PUD communities and specialists on international, regional, national and local levels.

Advocacy

• EHRN, as a regional organization, dealing with advocacy on international level, directing its advocacy activity to achieve sustainability of harm reduction programs, so that these programs receive political support and financing, contributing to including national problems in harm reduction sphere and abuse of PUD rights in the list of topics for regional cooperation, attracts attention of world community to these issues for their solution. EHRN provides technical support to its members to successfully conduct advocacy on national level.

Technical assistance, forming of evidential base and dissemination of best practices.

• EHRN, as a regional organization, providing technical assistance by conducting wide spectrum of events on informational exchange, experience exchange and professional development for specialists and activists of harm reduction programs, PUD communities, and also coordinating and technically supporting the development and implementation of advocacy campaigns and events in the countries of CEECA region. EHRN documents achievements of harm reduction programs and negative consequences of refusal of this approach, analysing and disseminating best practices, developing methodological program maintenance on health maintenance and rights protection of PUD.

EHRN organisational strategy

Who our work is directed to:

EHRN work is concentrated in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA), which are divided into 7 sub-regions:

• Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania);
• Central Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia);
• South-Eastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia);
• European countries of Commonwealth of Independent States (Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine);
• Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia);
• Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan)

EHRN is a membership network and represents interests of harm reduction activists and specialists in CEECA region. Currently more than 600 organizations and individuals have already become EHRN members. EHRN member can be a legal entity or an individual who supports the principles and approaches of harm reduction and respects and follows EHRN decrees and regulations. You can find more on membership here: http://www.harm-reduction.org/ru/members

Value for Regional Platform project:

• EHRN is a technical assistance provider for projects funded by Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
• EHRN will prepare short overviews of main documents on New Funding Model and special initiative on communities, human rights and gender in Global Fund, and international guidance regarding key communities.
• EHRN will organize discussion sessions in form of webinars for community leaders and activists for preparation for global events (Special sessions of UN General Assembly, Global Fund board, international conferences), and discussion of actual topics regarding communities, human rights and gender.
• EHRN will conduct training for community leaders and activists on regional communities network development model.
• EHRN provides technical assistance in capacity building of Eurasian network of people using drugs.
• Being a regional network and mediator between local, national and international organizations, EHRN provides including communities’ needs into regional and global initiatives agenda.
• EHRN helps on country and region levels to develop advocacy in general, mobilize community of drug users and promotes increase of harm reduction programs quality and scope.
• EHRN promotes understanding between national organizations and community of people using drugs, helping them to hear each other, exchange experience and share efforts in advocacy

Contact person:

Igor Gordon, Head of team of network and community members’ capacity development

Mobile: +370 626 37292

Email: igor.gordon@harm-reduction.org

What issues does EHRN deal with:

• Community systems strengthening.
• Human rights protection to provide health advocacy.
• Gender equality and prevention of discrimination based on sexual orientation.
• Significant participation of key communities in counteraction to HIV-infection epidemic.
• Evaluation of harm reduction investments and services.

EHRN website