Ukraine
Worldwide, Ukraine is among the countries with the highest percentage of prisoners. Fifteen percent of the Ukrainians with HIV are imprisoned. Most of these were infected due to unsafe use of drugs. Among prisoners and prison personnel there is a lack of knowledge of HIV or related topics such as tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and hepatitis A, B, and C.
Various projects in Ukraine
In cooperation with an NGO, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), and the Ukrainian Corrections Department of the Ministry of Justice (which is comparable to the Dutch Correctional Insitutions Agency), we developed new training curricula for the training centre for prison personnel in 2010.
Training
In the new courses, prison personnel can acquire knowledge of drug use and frequently occurring diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis so that they can protect their own health and that of the inmates.
In 2006, we created a methodological guide with regard to access to antiretroviral therapy for injecting drug users for a harm reduction project in Ukraine. This activity was financed by Oxfam Novib (Linkis).
Between 2004 and 2005, Mainline worked within the context of a partnership on ‘Effective HIV Prevention and People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) Support in Prisons’.
The partnership was established to implement effective strategies and standards for HIV prevention in prisons in Ukraine. The project was financed by the European Commission (Tacis IBPP).
Read an article on Ukraine:
Occupation of Crimea Creates Risks with Regard to Drugs and HIV [One World, 11 april 2014]
Contactperson: Machteld Busz
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Egypt, Kenya, Marocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Mainline is a partner in the Love Alliance programme. The Love Alliance brings together organisations led by communities most affected by HIV and AIDS.United Kingdom, Finland, Greece, Estonia, Serbia, Portugal, the Netherlands
Harm reduction approaches are rarely applied in a recreational sports setting. And why would we - sport equals health, right? Not always. Research shows that the use of performance and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs) is quite common in various recreational sport scenes. And for those people who use frequently and in high doses, harm reduction can make a big difference.Kenya, South Africa
Young people use drugs - including minors. It's an inconvenient truth: societies usually seek to prevent young people from damaging their health and there is a big taboo on drug use among young kids. But are stigma, legislation or moral judgement keeping young people away from harm reduction services? This project aims to find out and to improve access to services.Global
The use of drugs during sex is a growing worldwide phenomenon among men who have sex with men (MSM). Mainline has built a unique track record while working in the frontline of the Dutch 'chemsex' scene. Now, we also apply this expertise in an international context. The best place to start? Our chemsex e-learning.Iran
Iran is renowned for its harm reduction programme. It was one of the first countries in this geographical region to adopt a harm reduction approach. Government supports and funds the programme. But the drug scene in Iran has changed over the years: more people are using stimulants and there are more and more homeless people who use drugs due to economic circumstances. Mainline sets out to see whether the current programmes in Tehran still fit the needs of the local people who use drugs.Indonesia
Prisons in Indonesia are often overcrowded and health services are limited. Is quality prison health too expensive? Not according to findings from Atma Jaya University, who applied the method of 'economic modelling' to prison health services, including drug treatment. The findings feed important advocacy messages to improve the prison system in 2021.Vietnam
October 2019 marked the start of a cutting edge new initiative. With the support of Open Society Foundation, Mainline and SCDI in Vietnam are building expertise to support people who use stimulant drugs. The core motivation to do so is the sharp rise in the use of crystal meth in the South Asian region and the lack of a coordinated harm reduction response.Kenya
Women who use drugs in Kenya face violence every day. At home. On the streets. By the police. In their communities. A unique study - conducted in Mombasa, Kenya - sheds light on the raw realities these women encounter. Urgent action is needed.South Africa
Women Who Use Drugs face additional problems in comparison to their male counterparts. The harm reduction field far too often neglects the needs of women. To some extend, the same is true for peer workers: incredibly valuable staff in any impactful service. How can local services make sure that peer workers are valued, supported and living up to their full potential?South Africa
Together with activists and peer- and outreach workers in South Africa, Mainline worked on a practical guide about involving peers in harm reduction work.A MAINLINE-GIZ STUDY
With the support of the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD), a project implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a team of three Mainline researchers conducted a study into effective harm reduction interventions for stimulant users. The study includes a review of the evidence for different harm reduction strategies for stimulants and a detailed description of seven good practices in different world regions.Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania and Vietnam
The Bridging the Gaps programme started its second phase in January 2016 and continued until the end of 2020. The shared goal of the Bridging the Gaps alliance: to improve the health and rights of people who use drugs, sex workers and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.