Harm reduction centers are hubs that aim to reduce the harms caused by drug use by providing services such as the distribution of sterile syringes and needles, overnight accommodation, hot meals, and washing facilities to addicts. These centers also act as a bridge between addicts and the recovery process, offering services such as social work and necessary training to attract these individuals towards recovery.
Structural Challenges of the Harm Reduction System
Abbas Dilami Zadeh, CEO of the Rebirth Charity, referred to the structural challenges of the harm reduction system in the country at the 19th Addiction Science Congress and criticized the contradiction between public health policies and judicial actions. He stated: "A person who is a drug user receives a hygienic syringe from our harm reduction center. We provide the syringe to protect public health, but the law enforcement system considers the syringe a reason for crime. This blatant contradiction has caused users to fear visiting centers, and harm reduction services effectively remain ineffective."Read more: Seyed Vahid Shari'at: Dangerous Shortage of Psychiatric Medications in Iran
Financial Dependency and Its Harms
Dilami Zadeh also pointed to the harms of NGOs' financial dependency on government budgets and international aid, stating: "One of the biggest strategic mistakes was to make NGOs dependent on government budgets and international organizations' assistance. If from the beginning the models had been directed so that 60 to 70 percent of costs were covered through civil participation, today with the cut or reduction of resources, organizations would not feel this weak and incapable."He emphasized the necessity of attention to the human capital in this field by reviewing the history of the harm reduction system's formation in the country since 2004, adding: "For years, investments were made in field forces, social workers, etc. But today, where do those facilitators stand in this structure? When there is no job security and livelihood, these forces migrate or exit the cycle."
The CEO of the Rebirth Charity also mentioned the difficulties of securing resources under sanctions, saying: "During the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic when the country faced a severe shortage of HIV diagnostic kits, we were stuck for months in transferring money for assistance that we received directly from the European Commission."
He concluded by emphasizing the need to reconsider the governance of social harms, stating: "These issues indicate that solving the harm reduction crisis in the country requires hours of courageous exploration and reconsideration."
Read more: Reduction of 2 Million from the Population of Childbearing Women Emphasized by Ansieh Ketabchi · 19th Addiction Science Congress: A Look at Treatment in Wartime Conditions
