Setting up and improving the quality of harm reduction services in Central Asia provides for both continuous challenges and rewarding successes. The following stories from the field show how CARHAP works in practice. They introduce some of the new approaches and innovative project designs of CARHAP’s partners have implemented and illustrate the hardship that the Central Asian environment can pose to harm reduction service providers and their clients alike.
- Overdose prevention pilot project in Kyrgyzstan
Effective harm reduction services injecting drug users need to address health risks that are related to drug use. Overdose consitutes one of the biggest risks for opioid users. However, there is little information about the overdose situation in the region. CARHAP provided funding to the Narcological Centre in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) for the implementation of a pilot project to shed light onto the overdose situation as well as provide help through distribution of naloxone to counter the effects of overdose.
For more information, please download the full story Overdose prevention project, Kyrgyzstan.pdf
- Readaptation centre, NGO "Spin plus", Tajikistan
The HIV and AIDS epidemic in Central Asia is mainly driven by injecting drug use. Infection rates among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Tajikistan are still at more than 30% with many IDUs never undergoing testing. Due to stigmatisation regarding injecting drug use, drug rehabilitation fails to receive recognition for the crucial role it can play in HIV/AIDS prevention. SPIN Plus, with support from CARHAP, has established the first non-medical rehabilitation centre for drug users in Tajikistan. During its first 1.5 years of operation, the organisation has already achieved impressive results.
For more information, please download the full story Success story, NGO Spin plus, Tajikistan.pdf
- Half way house, NGO "Ranar", Kyrgyzstan
Lack of access to health care, jobs and social services due to missing passports are typical problems that injecting drug users who are released from prisons face. NGO Ranar in Kyrgyzstan has been particularly successful in creating a safe haven for those released from prisons thus breaking the cycle of drug use, police harassment and imprisonment. The House of Halfway NGO “Ranar” is using a “therapeutic community” approach which allows drug users to form a supportive community in which they encourage each other to renounce drugs. With this approach, NGO Ranar has developed a very innovative and effective option for serving this group with tailored harm reduction and rehabilitation services that can make the difference in people’s lives.
For more information, please download the full story Success story on half way house of NGO Ranar, Kyrgyzstan.pdf
- A story of outreach worker from NGO "Podruga", Kyrgyzstan
Against a backdrop of community resistance and police harassment, one resilient member of the NGO Podruga, situated in Osh, established a self-help group for local sex workers (SW), educating them about the important role they play in HIV and AIDS harm reduction, and about their own rights. This strongly contributed to the success of NGO Podruga in reaching many SWs and in increasing its coverage of these vulnerable and at-risk women. In addition to the self-help group, NGO Podruga offers harm reduction services to more than 700 women which are vital in responding to HIV and AIDS in Central Asia.
For more information, please download the full story Success story-NGO "Podruga", Kyrgyzstan.pdf
It was the CARHAP funded and World Vision implemented Trust Point that gave Valera a real opportunity to recover from his drug addiction. He was offered information about recovery, detoxification and harm reduction. The Trust Point even provided him with the opportunity to learn new skills that could be particularly useful for future employers such as working with computers. World Vision intends to expand its already successful services, through the establishment of a drop-in centre, which will provide a syringe exchange program, vital for harm reduction, and a place for injecting drug users to stay for a few nights. Thanks to the trust point, Valera is now well equipped to help others renounce their drug addiction, and is part of the innovative peer support program.
For more information, please download the full story A desperate past, a new beginning, Uzbekistan.pdf
- Outreach services of NGO "Sudmand", Tajikistan
NGO “Sudmand” enlists selected taxi-drivers, themselves ex-drug users, to work as outreach workers. With their local knowledge, these taxi drivers as outreach workers are able to reach hidden communities of high-risk populations, providing them with harm reduction services including referral to medical support services. Access to these groups through the taxi drivers allows Sudmand to learn more about the needs of these groups of clients and to develop suitable service models for them.
For more information, please download the full story Outreach services of NGO Sudmand, Tajikistan.pdf
- Introduction of Unique Identification Code in Tajikistan.
Round table on monitoring and evaluation and in particular, unique coding system introduction in Republic of Tajikistan took place on June 4th in Dushanbe in 2006. Initiative came under the Ministry of Health of Tajikistan by the support of Central Asia HIV/AIDS Programme (CARHAP) and USAID programme on drugs demand reduction in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and region of Ferganna valley of Kyrgyzstan which are realized by Tajik Branch of “Open Society” Institute - Fund of Assistance.The UIC allows to record drug users who are using various services on an anonymous basis. - regular work with drug users registered in unified database will allow to trace/monitor constantly a situation of behavior change among drug users including - behavioral, epidemiological, demographic, social and economic changes. In this regard, Ministry of Health of Tajikistan has initiated to introduce UIC at a national level.
For more information, please download the full story Introduction of UIC code in Tajikistan.pdf
- Technical Working Group (TWG) for National HIV/AIDS policy and legislation in Tajikistan
In March 2007, the first expanded meeting of the TWG for National HIV and AIDS Police and Legislation of the Tajik National Coordination Committee for Prevention of HIV and AIDS took place with support from CARHAP. The main objective of the TWG is the analysis of HIV and AIDS related legislation and the provision of support to the Secretariat of the National Coordinating Committee and all stakeholders in the implementation of national Programmes and strategic plans on HIV prevention.
For more information, please download the full story TWG for National HIV AIDS policy and legislation.pdf
Other success stories