Chronic underfunding led to a drastic decision: the largest needle and syringe program operated by the NGO ARAS in Bucharest had to close down in February. Read this report from Alina Bocai, Programme Director at ARAS.
Romania
Between Waves: Update on the COVID-19 and Harm Reduction Situation in Europe
An update about how access to harm reduction programs changed in European cities after the lockdown measures were lifted between the first and second waves of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Harm Reduction Responses to COVID-19 in Europe: Regularly Updated Infopage
On this info page Drugreporter provides regular updates about resources and news on how harm reduction service providers respond to the COVID-19 Epidemic.
8 Lessons Learned at the European Harm Reduction Conference
The 4th European Harm Reduction Conference took place in Bucharest on 21-23 November, 2018. Please watch the video report we made at the event – and read about some of the messages we could take home.
International Developments and Harm Reduction
We filmed this session at the 4th European Harm Reduction Conference in Bucharest, Romania, where professionals and activists discussed the contribution of civil society to improve access to harm reduction programs in Europe.
Changing the Public Discourse on Harm Reduction in Romania – Interview with Nicoleta Dascalu
Bucharest will host the 4th European Harm Reduction Conference in November 2018. We interviewed Nicoleta Dascalu, a project manager working for the Romanian Anti-AIDS Association (ARAS) about the harm reduction situation in her country.
FORBIDDEN – Comics
Forbidden is an issue of four comics produced by The Romanian Harm Reduction Network with the support of Drugreporter as part of the national campaign to support harm reduction in Romania.
No-Alcohol Policy Means No Shelter For The Homeless
“The local authorities in Bucharest, Romania, don’t have any official statistics on the city’s homeless population.” According to a local NGO, there were about 5,000 people in 2010. Read the story of Florian, by Vlad Odobescu, who cannot go to shelters because of his alcoholism.
Accessible and Affordable Rehab Services in Romania: a Rare Opportunity
The Romanian Blue Cross launched a free of charge rehab service, which was not accessible before in the country. Read Stefan Iancu’s, a former user and present helper at Blue Cross, experiences and opinion about the situation of rehab services in Romania.
Harm Reduction: Need for Political Leadership
At the national harm reduction conference in Budapest, presenters from Greece, Romania and Hungary reported that there are similar problems and challenges in relation to injecting drug use in Southern-Central Europe, but there are huge differences between government responses. Lack of political leadership is leading to growing HIV and hepatitis C infections among drug users all over the region.
