Spreading the light of science - Guidelines on harm reduction related to injecting drug use

This document details the rationale for harm reduction programmes. It outlines
generic approaches that National Societies can adapt to the realities of their countries in the evelopment and implementation of harm reduction programme and in conducting advocacy for the acceptance and realization such programmes.

The document has been broken into different sections, downloadable in PDF format.

• Abbreviations (32 kb), Introduction (84 kb)
  
  
• Background (210 kb)
  
  
• Chapter 1 - Injecting drug use (698 kb)
  1.1 Injecting drug use and HIV epidemiological data
  1.2 Increases in injecting drug use
  1.3 Sharing needles and syringes
  1.4 The most affected populations
  1.5 Effective responses
  
  
• Chapter 2 - Rationale for harm reduction (225 kb)
  2.1 Harm reduction
  2.2 Humanitarian rationale
  2.2.1 Humanitarian action, National Societies and injecting drug users
  2.2.2 Humanitarian action, National Societies and injecting drug users in prisons
  2.3 Public health rationale
  2.4 Human rights rationale
  2.4.1 Human rights, health and injecting drug users
  2.4.2 Human rights, health and injecting drug users in prisons
  2.5 Cost effectiveness of harm reduction programmes
  
  
• Chapter 3 National Society response
  3.1 Principles and strategy formulation
  3.1.1 Guiding principles
  3.1.2 Strategic directions
  3.2 Programme development
  3.3 Areas of intervention
  3.3.1 Outreach
  3.3.2 Drop in centres
  3.3.3 Needle and syringe exchange programme
  3.3.4 Provision of free, good quality condoms
  3.3.5 Peer education
  3.3.6 Primary health care services
  3.3.7 Drug substitution treatment – low threshold programme
  3.3.8 Injecting drug rooms
  3.4 Facilitation of programme implementation
  3.5 Advocating harm reduction programme
  3.5.1 Changing society views
  3.5.2 Influencing policy-makers
  
  
• Annex I - Bibliography (41 kb), Annex II - Drug characteristics and their effects (69 kb), Annex III - Press releases (280 kb)