On 15th March 2023, EHRA together with support of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Alliance for Public Health, Ukrainian network of people who use drugs (VOLNA) and Precursor Foundation for Social Policy organized side event during the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). Event was happening both, online and in Vienna and was attended by EU member states representatives, other states representatives, civil society, as well as UN agencies.

The presentations:

0:00 Ganna Dovbakh, Eurasian Harm Reduction Association
1:59 Anna Shemet, Ministry of Health, Ukraine
25:27 Anton Basenko, European AIDS Treatment Group
34:00 Sergii Filippovych, #Sos 2.0, Alliance for Public Health
43:57 Magdalena Bartnik, Prekursor Foundation

Since 24 February 2022, more than 16,5 million people have left Ukraine because of the Russia war in Ukraine. Humanitarian crisis in Ukraine has brought tremendous suffering and health consequences for the Ukrainian people in general, especially for vulnerable groups, such as people who use drugs. According to the UNAIDS’ latest estimates, there are 258,000 people living with HIV in Ukraine, 366,000 people who use drugs (of which only 20,000 have access to opioid agonist treatment), 80,000 sex workers, and 179,000 people, who belong to the LGBTQ community.
Since the beginning of the war, governmental and non-governmental organizations inside Ukraine, working in the harm reduction field, as well as harm reduction organizations working in the neighboring countries immediately initiated and coordinated a rapid humanitarian response, providing urgent support to meet the health and social needs of people who use drugs inside the country, as well those, who fled it.

The side event focused on the drug-related emergency health responses, challenges related to it and inspiring examples of how to address needs of people who use drugs and other key populations in face of the humanitarian crisis. There were shown examples showcasing how in life-threatening situations health and social service providers have organised evacuations, heating, generators, shelters for overnight stays, food, basic health care, response on gender-based violence during war to people who use drugs and their families. Humanitarian crisis in Ukraine led to the development of the emergency harm reduction package, as well as а coordinated effort of regional civil society organizations to respond to the threats of authoritarianism and pressure on activists.
More information and the powerpoint presentations are available here:
https://harmreductioneurasia.org/news/66th-CND-side-event
https://drogriporter.hu/en/