On 21^st to 23^rd September KANCO staff accompanied by representatives from NASCOP, NACADA and MEWA participated in the2^ND Conference on Harm reduction at Mer Rouge, Port-Louis in Mauritius .The conference was organized by Collectif Urgence Toxida - CUT is a non-Governmental Organisation working in the field of Harm Reduction. The objective of the conference was to   bring together different actors involved in Harm Reduction to exchange ideas and discuss strategies for improving the quality of services delivered .The theme of the conference;”towards client based approach’ means that the client is at the centre of the care they receive and benefits from three social processes: counseling, empowerment and Psychosocial support. It also emphasized on human?Rights Based Approach to drug Policy and Public Health approaches to drug related harm. Over the three days, more than 150 participants – including representatives from civil society, the private sector and government, as well as PWUDs and ex injecting drug users - attended the conference

As each speaker presented, one thing was clear, that people Who Use Drugs (PWUDs) are human beings and their human rights must be respected. In Mauritius the government supports Harm Reduction services such as the needle exchange programmes and methadone substitution therapy. Different countries represented felt that there is need for harm reduction programs to be designed to respond to the specific needs of its beneficiaries. Hence, it is of the utmost importance that the voices of PWUDs begin to systematically be included in the design and implementation of harm reduction services. The principal recommendation to come out of the 2nd conference on Harm reduction, was precisely that these services must be anchored in a humanist approach, which is evidence based, participatory, holistic and non judgmental.

A second key recommendation to come out of the conference was the urgency of etching out a concrete roadmap for law enforcement personnel and harm reduction service providers to collaborate consistently. Participants highlighted the chronic clashes between the Anti Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) and beneficiaries of the Needle Exchange Programmes (NEP) as a major obstacle that must be overcome. During the plenary discussions, participants suggested that harm reduction specific training should be given to all police officers. Another important recommendation of the conference was the necessity of developing programmes that are tailored to the specific needs of young persons as well women. 45% of new HIV infections amongst young people age 15-24 and 96% of people who injected drugs said that they started injecting before the age of 25 (WHO) This means there is greater vulnerability to drug-related harms hence less likely to access drug related health services.It was also felt that there was need for gender based issues  and harm reduction – the need for tailored approaches .Women due to their social and economic status in the society are more likely to suffer more in relation to drug abuse than their female counterparts

 The marked presence of Regional delegates and international experts drawn from France, Britain, Tanzania, Ukraine, Kenya, to mention but a few. KANCO with support International HIV/AIDS alliance will be implementing the Harm reduction programs in Mombasa and Nairobi hence were in Mauritius especially for the conference, to learn from the Mauritian example, as plans to launch the   harm reduction programmes in early 2012 are underway.  Through the Indian Ocean Commission, seventeen delegates coming from Madagascar, Seychelles, Comoros, Réunion and Rodrigues attended the conference.Nine international experts attended the conference through the support of the Open Society Institute, many of whom also attended side meetings and conducted trainings with local stakeholders. 

The Kenya delegates got a chance to go for study visits in the Methadone substitution facilities, Rehabilitation centre for men and women as well as needle and syringe exchange done by community outreach workers at designated places within areas highly hit by drugs. The programs are supported by the government of Mauritius .Our days in Mauritius were not only well spent but fruitful and there is hope that what was learnt will be replicated in the country and supported by relevant stakeholders. The injecting drug users who are among the most as risk populations (MARPs) are some of the drivers of HIV infection hence there is a great need to focus on them through harm reduction approach.