The conference was organised with plenary sessions, abstract driven workshops, training sessions and opens the space for discussion and interactive workshops for participants. The conference took place in an exellent venue in the beautiful city of Ljubljana, with support of the Slovenian Ministery of Health and other conference partrners.
Human Rights and Drug Policy Course:
The course aims to situate drug policies globally within a framework of fundamental human rights, and to assess the extent to which country and international drug policies fail to meet human rights standards. Discussion will focus partly on the identification and understanding of human rights including those that have their basis in international agreements and laws, and in part on evaluation and assessment of the gap between rights and practice in the implementation of drug policies in many countries and regions. The focus of the course will be global and participants will be drawn from all regions internationally. Financial aid is available. For more information, visit:
Course Dates: July 16-27, 2012
Application deadline: February 15, 2012
Correlation produced a practical manual to early intervention, outreach, peer work, focus groups and motivational interviewing.
The manual focus particular on young persons between the ages 16 and 23, who experiment with drugs and are not completely integrated in society, but have not fallen out either. The reader discuss different practical interventions and was developed by an international expert group, including peers.
Hepatitis C: Treatment and care for people who inject drugs
A three day learning program in 12 modules: Introducing HCV, it' s transmission and prevention, diagnostic tests, treatment options, co-infectionb, organisatorial, practice and policy issues. Here you can find the integral manual online and as download.
The Steering Committee of the project met in Amsterdam to discuss the final process of the project, dissemination and advocacy opportunities and to prepare the conference in Ljubljana. The conference program is updated now with the latest information, please check correlation-net.org/correlation_conference/programme.html
The 6th Civil Society Forum on Drugs
From 10 to 12 October 2011 the 6th Civil Society Forum on Drugs gathered in Brussels, Belgium.
Seven interventions, one aim: no infections among people who inject drugs.
In a new guidance document , EU agencies ECDC and the EMCDDA have joined forces to identify seven interventions to reduce and prevent infectious diseases in this vulnerable population. Many European countries have achieved substantial progress in recent years in preventing drug-related infections. Drug injecting, however, remains a major cause of infectious diseases across Europe. The interventions proposed range from the supply of injection equipment, testing and vaccination to the treatment of infections and drug dependence.
On the occasion of the World Hepatitis Day 2011, the Correlation Network launches 12 key messages for a good Hepatitis C policy and practice among people who use drugs. These messages were prepared by practitioners in the field of Hepatitis treatment and care and contain guiding principles, practice examples and references for further reading.
The Correlation HIV/AIDS policy dialogue seminar took place 29 - 30 June in Brussels.
Participants got an introduction to EU policy making and discussed, how HIV/AIDS relevant policies impact (or not) their daily work. During a session in the European Parliament, MEP's, representatives of the European Commission, ECDC, UNAIDS and a couple of national Aids coordinators gave their vision on political leadership in the HIV/AIDS response. The Correlation policy recommendations were presented briefly. On the last day, participants discussed opportunities 'from recommendations to action'.
Presentations, the Correlation HIV/AIDS policy recommendations, pictures and videos will be published on the website soon.
The seminar was attended by 25 service providers, who will implement and test the tool during their online outreach work. After the testing and evaluation period, the tool will be made available for other organisations in the field of online outreach. Organisations will receive supporting guidelines and materials how to work and to use the tool efficiently.
The 'Social Intervention Tool' (SIT), a chat tool, to be used by service provider for online outreach, was presented here.
IDPC Briefing Paper on Dutch drug treatment system
The International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) published a briefing paper on the developments of the Dutch drug treatment and care system. The paper briefly describes the history and the basic elements of the Dutch drug dependence treatment policy, including recent trends in drug use and the current drug treatment system implemented in the four largest cities in the Netherlands.
The Correlation outreach/peer work seminar was attended by 110 participants from the Czech Republic and all over Europe, including a large number of peers and sex workers and drug user organisation representatives. Lively discussions, interactive sessions were alternated with skill building and training workshops. In a policy dialogue meeting, the situation around peer work and harm reduction was highlighted by Czech policy makers and other stakeholders.
Hepatitis C: Treatment and care for people who inject drugs
On the occasion of the World Hepatitis Day 2011, the Correlation Network launches 12 key messages for a good Hepatitis C policy and practice among people who use drugs. These messages were prepared by practitioners in the field of Hepatitis treatment and care and contain guiding principles, practice examples and references for further reading.
Participants got an introduction to EU policy making and discussed, how HIV/AIDS relevant policies impact (or not) their daily work. During a session in the European Parliament, MEP's, representatives of the European Commission, ECDC, UNAIDS and a couple of national Aids coordinators gave their vision on political leadership in the HIV/AIDS response. The Correlation policy recommendations were presented briefly. On the last day, participants discussed opportunities 'from recommendations to action'.
