By Erika Matuizaite of the ‘I Can Live!’ Coalition.

On Wednesday 7th July, Klaipeda’s Mobile Needle and Syringe Exchange Van held an open doors event at the old market in Klaipeda, Lithuania. The main goal of the event was to increase public awareness about harm reduction programmes and their importance in preventing the spread of HIV within the community, as well as reducing other social and health consequences related to injecting drug use. During the event, passers-by where invited to visit Mobile Needle and Syringe Exchange Van and get information about its activities. The event was organised by the I Can Live Coalition and the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network in cooperation with Klaipeda Mental Health Centre and Positive Life Association.

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On July 7, 2010, from 4 p.m. till 6 p.m,. Klaipeda’s Mobile Needle and Syringe Exchange Van will hold an open doors event at the old market in Klaipeda, Lithuania (car parking provided at the central entrance to the market).

The main goal of the event is to increase public awareness about harm reduction programmes, and their importance in preventing the spread of HIV within the community and reducing other social and health consequences related to injecting drug use.

The event is organised by the I Can Live Coalition and the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network in cooperation with the Klaipeda Mental Health Centre.

Location: Vilnius, Lithuania

Event:

Roundtable discussions with key national and local decision-makers will be organised in three Lithuanian cities to demonstrate the needs and share the successes of harm reduction services and promote these services to key policy makers. Discussions will be followed by a 1) special animated report prepared specifically for the events to show global progress towards universal access to HIV prevention and treatment and to highlight Lithuania’s situation in this regard; 2) press conferences, other channels (distributing press releases, publishing articles, initiating radio reportages, etc.), and visits to regional harm reduction centres to video-document their practices.

Background

In Lithuania, the HIV epidemic is highly concentrated among intravenous drug users. Despite the fact that harm reduction programmes have been implemented and developed in Lithuania since 1995 and some progress in this field has been made, these programmes still face many challenges. One of them is the negative attitude towards these programmes from both the decision makers and the general public. Therefore there is a constant need to reinforce the necessity of these programmes and fight for their survival.