A webinar dedicated to the topic of harm reduction and HIV/AIDS in Southeast Europe, organized by Harm Reduction International, the Correlation European Harm Reduction Network, and the Drug Policy Network Southeast Europe (DPNSEE), was held on November 26, 2024. Representatives of the Office for Combating Drugs participated in this event.

The webinar brought together leading experts and representatives of organizations who presented the latest data and analyses in the field of harm reduction and public health.

Main Topics of the Webinar:
“Global State of Harm Reduction Report”
Presented by: Ms. Colleen Daniels, Deputy Director and Public Health Lead, Harm Reduction International.
The report emphasized the importance of this unique independent analysis of global harm reduction practices.

“Harm Reduction in Southeast Europe”
Presented by: Mr. Marios Atzemis, Board Member, DPNSEE.
The presentation covered an analysis of regional data from the Global State of Harm Reduction Report, with a specific focus on the countries of Southeast Europe.

“Civil Society Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe”
Presented by: Ms. Iga Jeziorska, Senior Research Officer, Correlation European Harm Reduction Network.
The report included data gathered directly from harm reduction service providers and indirectly from service clients at the community level.

“HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data for 2022 in Southeast Europe”
Presented by: Mr. Milutin Milosevic, Executive Director, DPNSEE.
The report incorporated data collected by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Participants exchanged views on the implications of the presented data and discussed future directions for the development of harm reduction strategies in the region.
Some of the main conclusions of the webinar were:
The importance of evidence-based approaches in addressing challenges in harm reduction and HIV/AIDS;
The significance of collaboration between government institutions, civil society, and public health organizations;
The need for further improvement of regional and global strategies in this field.