From November 16 to 24th, Harm Reduction International are hosting an online festival designed to bring people across the world together, to discuss drugs and harm reduction.  

The three key themes of the Constellations event will be SCIENCE, JUSTICE and PLEASURE. In addition to exploring innovative responses to HIV, hepatitis, overdose and OAT, key topics of CONSTELLATIONS will include racial justice, civil liberties, freedom and bodily autonomy, exploration of consciousness, and enjoyment.

It's with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of former President Jorge Sampaio of Portugal, whose tireless work to reform drug laws saw Portugal become a model that forged the way forward toward rational and evidence-based drug policies. In the process, Portugal under his leadership went from having some of the highest drug dependency in Europe in the 1990s to radically reducing the incidence of drug harm in the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reversed the progress made in the global HIV, TB, and malaria responses for the first time in two decades according to the 2021 Results Report released by  Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. However, the adaptations and work by communities mitigated some of the worst effects of COVID-19, showing us a way forward on what needs to be prioritised in Global Fund programming.

Over the last several months INPUD has collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) Department for Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes on a global qualitative study examining the values and preferences of key populations, including people who inject drugs, for HIV, Hepatitis and STIs services. The findings of this study will inform the update of the WHO 2016 Consolidated Guidelines for HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations, which are used to inform countries on the design and implementation of health packages for key populations (people who inject drugs, gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men, female, male and trans sex workers and trans people).

In Issue 17 of its regular Risk Bulletin, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime reports on a range of recent developments in the Eastern and Southern African region.

Over the past decade there have been increasing claims that the world is moving towards a critical turning point in international drug policy, based on a growing recognition that governments must consider alternative approaches to drug policy which include decriminalisation. While this shift has been hailed as a sign of progress by many, INPUD believes there are still important and overlooked questions regarding the extent to which the needs and rights of people who use drugs are being prioritised in countries that have decriminalised drug use.

By Phumlani Malinga

On 28 July INHSU (The International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users), TB HIV Care, SANPUD (South African Network of People Who Use Drugs) along with the a representative from the Department of Health, Dr Kgomotso Vilakazi-Nhlapo, the Deputy Minister of Social Development Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, and others held a World Hepatitis Day Advocacy and Training Roundtable, to help drive efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat in South Africa.