Project Tag: people who use drugs

BOOST Project

The HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis epidemics pose a burden to public health in Europe and disproportionately affect people who use drugs (PWUD) and other vulnerable populations that lack access to health services. The Correlation Network, as the lead network, in partnership with Eurasian Harm Reduction Association, EuroNPUD, Free Clinic, Podane Ruce, LILA Milano, Asociacion Bienestar y Desarrolo, IGTP/ICO, ISGlobal, Foundazinone Villa Maraini and in collaboration wih DPNSEE, ReGeneration, ARAS Foundation, and AIDS Action Europe, implements the BOOST project to contribute to improving the health of affected communities and public health in Europe in general.

The main aim of the BOOST project is to enhance the implementation of high-quality community-based communicable disease services as part of a comprehensive, people-centred and integrated harm reduction approach in four key areas:

  • INFORM: collection of information and data on community-based services for PWUD
  • IMPROVE: organisation of capacity building in the field of communicable disease
  • SUPPORT: enhancing scale-up of integrated community-based good practices
  • CONNECT&ACT: consolidating PWUD networks and fostering advocacy interventions

At the core of the BOOST project are three European harm reduction networks with support of the European Network of People who Use Drugs – as the involvement of and cooperation with affected communities is a core and vital element of this application. This ensures a wide range of experience, access different risk populations, covering all EU MS and neighbouring regions. Professionals will engage in data collection, exchange, capacity building, mutual coaching and learning and implementation of good practice models.

The BOOST project will provide data on the availability and quality of communicable disease services for PWUD, more community-based organisations will provide access to these services, capacities of service providers will be improved and the results of the project will be disseminated and advocated among a wide range of stakeholders.

DPNSEE will support EHRA implementing project activities aimed to strengthen and consolidate existing networks of harm reduction service organizations to support and boost the implementation of community-based and community-led best practices in the field of HIV, viral hepatitis, STIs – and where relevant TB – prevention, treatment and care for People Who Use Drugs at European, national and local level. More specifically:

  • Strengthen and consolidate networking, cooperation and advocacy at the European level to boost the implementation of community-based and community-led best practices in the field of HIV/HCV/HBV prevention, treatment and care for People Who Use Drugs.
  • Support community-based and community-led harm reduction services in developing and implementing effective advocacy plans at national/local level to boost the implementation of community-based best practices in the field of HIV/HCV/HBV prevention, treatment and care for People Who Use Drugs.
  • Translating project findings, outputs and outcomes, in particular those related to monitoring and evaluation in other project components, into policy briefings, recommendations and policy dialogue meetings

The project will last for three years, from January 2023 to December 2025.

BOOST Project is founded by the EU4Health programme of the European Union, under the Action Grants to support the implementation of best practices in community-based services for HIV, AIDS, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections.

 

Latest news

Together with our project partners C-EHRN, EHRA, EuroNPUD, the Drug Policy Network South East Europe hosted a Webinar on Decriminalisation of drug use and possession for personal use on 4 December 2025.

Read more>>>.

 

 

Recent news

  • On 25 November 2025, EHRA, together with C-EHRN and DPNSEE, hosted a webinar to launch the new regional report “Beyond Numbers: Harm Reduction across South-Eastern Europe”. Read more>>>.
  • On 10 October 2025 (World Mental Health Day), the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association hosted a regional webinar on Universal Health Coverage for People Who Use Drugs. Read more>>>.
  • On 15 July 2025 EuroNPUD published New Policy Brief: Where There Is Fruit, There Is Seed: Scaling Up Community Involvement for Integrated, Responsive, and Sustainable Harm Reduction. Read more>>>.
  • New policy brief, prepared by DPNSEE, calls for a decriminalisation model whereby all drugs are decriminalised. Read more>>>.
  • In support of the EU Drug Policy Campaign 2025, the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association has released a new policy brief: Advancing Universal Health Coverage for People Who Use Drugs in Europe. Read more>>>.
  • Correlation prepared a Policy Paper: “Harm Reduction Works! A call to invest in a European health-based drug policy”. Read more here>>>.
  • At the 5-5-5 Networking Zone at the conference’s Global Village of the AIDS 2024 Conference, the Advocacy Strategy of the BOOST Project was presented at a Round Table. Read more>>>.
  • Six organisations that will implement local advocacy project that won the support throught a BOOST call for proposals gathered for a workshop in Budapest, Hungary on 13 and 14 June. Read more>>>.
  • The BOOST Project meeting with all project partners to review achievements and plan the remaining project period was held in Antwerp on 27 – 28 May 2024. Read more>>>.
  • C-EHRN, EHRA, DPNSEE and EuroNPUD are proud to announce the recipients of grants from the recent call for proposals under the BOOST project. Read more>>>.
  • The BOOST project openned a call for proposals to support local advocacy efforts of community-led and civil society organizations in scope of the BOOST project. Read more>>>.
  • Representatives from the BOOST project implementation organisations – C-EHRN, EHRA, EuroNPUD, and DPNSEE – met in Amsterdam on 30 and 31 January 2024 to finalize the European Advocacy Strategy. Read more>>>.
  • As part of the BOOST project, a Digital Skills Training Course for harm reduction organisations working in the area of HIV and viral hepatitis will be held over the course of 4 weeks, between February 26th and March 23rd, 2024. Read more>>>.
  • The Drug Policy Network South East Europe (DPNSEE) organised two regional online dialogues as part of the BOOST project. Read more>>>.
  • DPNSEE President Nebojša Djurasović and Executive Director Milutin Milošević participated at the first meeting of the BOOST Project in Rome 13 – 14 of February. Read more>>>.

 

Emergency support for the provision of HIV and Harm Reduction services among key populations in Ukraine and refugees in selected neighbouring countries

The Drug Policy Network South East Europe and its member organisations from Serbia (Prevent, TOC, Duga, Re Generacija) and Montenegro (Juventas, Cazas) implement the UNODC-led project “Emergency support for the provision of HIV and Harm Reduction services among key populations in Ukraine and refugees in selected neighbouring countries“.

Primary objectives of the project are:

  • Ensuring the continuity of the HIV prevention, treatment and care (including OAT and ARV) services for people who use drugs/living with HIV
  • Community-based care and support for people who use drugs, people living with HIV, people in prisons
  • Provision of essential requirements, including food and medicines and shelters, in coordination with the penitentiary service/local CSOs

Our organisations will implement the following activities:

  • Provide access to information about health services and drugs and ensure clear, reliable and trustworthy health information reaches refugees
  • Support in accessing health care in host country
  • Rapid provision/purchasing of basic products for existing key populations/refugee shelters/centers
  • Provision of HIV harm reduction services for key populations (including refugees)
  • HIV and harm reduction services for people who use drugs, including new psychoactive substances
  • Mobilising civil society, service providers, policymakers and other national stakeholders from the Western Balkan region to ensure wide and all-involving drug strategy development process
  • Increased awareness and understanding regarding comprehensive gender-sensitive HIV services for women who use drugs (WUD) among health care managers, service providers and decision-makers

This project will be conducted in UNODC partnership with the local CSOs and aims to strengthen the capacity of CSOs to address HIV prevention, treatment, care and support among people who use drugs (including those who use NPS/stimulants) internally displaced populations, refugees and prison populations.

Project findings will inform the development and implementation of evidence-based, gender-responsive and sustainable HIV and harm reduction services for people who used drugs/people in and released from prisons, and IDPs/refugees in Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro.

Latest news

  • Two more workshops on Women, Violence, and the Use of Drugs were held in Novi Sad and Niš. Read more>>>.

 

 

Recent news

  • The information of relevance about health services and drugs for the refugees from Ukraine and displaced persons from Russia which DPNSEE prepred have been printed and are now ready for dissemination. Read more>>>.
  • A workshop for service providers and shelter staff on Women, Violence, and the Use of Drugs was held in Belgrade. Read more>>>.
  • DPNSEE collected information of relevance about health services and drugs for the refugees from Ukraine and displaced persons from Russia. Read more>>>.
  • Serbia extended temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine for an additional year. Read more>>>.
  • Belgrade Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) presented its annual report Right to Asylum in the Republic of Serbia 2022. Read more>>>.
  • UNODC representatives visited the Duga Checkpoint centre in Belgrade and met with community-led organizations working on HIV and harm reduction services for key populations. Read more>>>.
  • The Regional round table focused on community-led consultative process on the importance of human rights and evidence-based national drug strategies in HIV response was held on 21 Feburary 2023 in Belgrade, Serbia. Read more>>>.
  • NGO ReGeneracija held the training “Piloting web outreach services for working with people who use drugs and are at risk of HIV/AIDS, with a special focus on new psychoactive substances, stimulants and recreational drug use”. Read more>>>.
  • Our member organisation Re Generation provides web outreach services to displaced Ukrainian and Russian citizens in the form of peer consultations and counseling on the topics of harm reduction. Read more>>>.
  • Our member organisation Re Generation will implement the research study “The needs assessment among Ukrainian refugees and Russian migrants in the Republic of Serbia on access to services and new psychoactive substances/stimulant use“. Read more>>>.
  • Partners in the project held a coordination meeting with the representative of the UNODC Regional Programme Office for Eastern Europe. Read more>>>.
  • Launching the project in Serbia. Read more>>>.
  • Project partners meeting. Read more>>>.
  • Meeting with the UN agencies. Read more>>>.
  • A project for refugee key populations from Ukraine. Read more>>>.
  • A visit to UNODC Office in Belgrade. Read more>>>.