Project title

The main goal of the project is to halt and reverse the HIV/AIDS epidemics among injecting drug users, strengthening of services outside the traditional settings (outreach, peer education) in order to reach the hidden population of drug users and engage them in HIV prevention and drug treatment programmes.

Project objectives:

• To establish methadone programme in Jelgava (20 - 25 patients), extension of treatment and other care options.
• To develop wide cooperation at the local level between state, municipality and non-governmental organizations.

1. Methadone cabinet is established and equipped

• repair works done;
• established partition wall;
• signalisation;
• alarm button;
• brought all necessary items (dispenser, laboratory glassware, stationery, etc.).

2. Conducted staff training: there was need to inform all employees working at the outpatient section next to the Cabinet of methadone - the receptionists, cleaners, day-hospital staff. Training aimed to increase awareness of the methadone program, to develop proposals for regulation of the patient flow, to increase their competence of potential conflict management. In-depth training in the workplace was organized for methadone program staff - a project working group (nurse, social worker, head nurse).

3. Prepared and approved all the required documentation (medical contract tracking maps, etc.).

4. Regularly information about the progress of the project is given to local partners and stakeholders. Once a month, about the project activities we inform addiction prevention work organization and coordination working group of the Jelgava City Council. When we developed the addiction prevention work plan of the municipality for year 2009, we included the methadone program under the section of secondary prevention and rehabilitation.

5. In parallel with the preparatory works we conducted patient counseling, motivational work, started referring patients to the examinations, in order to be able to start methadone therapy on time. A significant amount of work was done with family members and friends of dependent people.

6. In February first 5 patients were included in the program, but at the end of the project the number of patients reached 21.

7. During treatment process we undertook regular assessments of patients' physical, mental and social condition, as well as provided individual consultations of social worker and psychologist.

8. Consultations were provided also to family members.

9. Information about the project was posted on City Council website and also in local newspaper. Program and its benefits were presented also in various seminars and conferences in whole country. We prepared informative leaflets about methadone program for specialists and for patients.

Main indicators:

• Methadone program clients - 21;
• Counseling of family members - 20;
• Counseling of newly registered opioid dependent persons - 15;
• Training of program staff - 2 staff members for 4 hours;
• Training of outpatient division staff - 10 staff members for 2 hours;
• Workshops with partners - 2;
• Informative leaflets - one for specialists and one for patients.

UNODC budget