High-Level Meeting on Harm Reduction Programming in the Republic of Malawi
High level delegates from Malawi with UNODC Chief HIV/AIDS section & Global Coordinator for HIV, Ms. Fariba Soltani and Mr. Gunasekaran Rengaswamy, Regional Adviser, HIV/AIDS Prevention and care
Lilongwe, Malawi 19 August 2024 — United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) together with stakeholders facilitated a high-level meeting on Harm Reduction programming in Malawi. The meeting highlighted critical issues and advancements in addressing HIV among People Who Use and Inject drugs (PWUID). Malawi has an alarming 27% HIV prevalence among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID), and this indicates a pressing need for an urgent multifaceted intervention response.
Key stakeholders, including PEPFAR, the Global Fund, and International Agencies who provide technical support, such as UNODC, are actively involved in efforts focusing on scaling up evidence-based harm reduction services and spearheading key advocacy activities on this issue. It was ascertained that support by PEPFAR including addressing broader social issues such as housing and unemployment, and the Global Fund’s inclusion of a Needle Syringe Exchange Programme - NSP in GC7 both signify a collaborative approach that is already working. UNAIDS emphasized the need for legal and policy reform to combat criminalization and stigmatization of PWUID, living with HIV/AIDS and how existing and strong partnerships can be catalytic in this process. UNODC Chief HIV/AIDS section & Global Coordinator for HIV, Ms. Fariba Soltani and Mr. Gunasekaran Rengaswamy, Regional Adviser, HIV/AIDS Prevention and care joined the stakeholders in this intense engagement.
Dr. Andrina Mwansambo from National AIDS Commission (NAC) emphasized the absence of a national PWID programme and proposed aspirational goals, such as reducing new HIV infections by 75% by 2027. In synergy with the views of the NAC, the Ministry of Health delved deeper into the discussion by underscoring the need for targeted interventions, including opioid substitution therapy and overdose prevention. Despite challenges like high costs of methadone and naloxone the Ministry of Health called on stakeholders to take specific actions collaboratively to change the current situation on scaling up harm reduction programming.
UNODC together with stakeholders will assist with reviewing and enhancing drug policies, bring more international technical tools to Malawi and introducing harm reduction programming such as opioid substitution therapy in Lilongwe. NAC will specifically focus on capacity building on stimulant drug use and correctional services, building a business case for increasing the availability of methadone and engaging civil society through advocacy initiatives. UNODC will continue to work with the Government of Malawi to reduce the prices of methadone, naloxone, and Direct-Acting Antiviral Regimens (DAA) for Hepatitis C viral infection, collaborating with law enforcement and traditional leaders, and support harm reduction programming in prisons.
The meeting was a sign of the collaborative force of stakeholders to develop sustainable harm reduction programming in Malawi, including the wealth of knowledge and innovative ideas on how to implement strategic interventions for this issue breaking down the health and wellbeing of PWID and the society at large.
In its closing remarks UNODC acknowledged existing progress in establishing multisectoral partnerships and outlined the need for ongoing advocacy, capacity building and policy alignment. Action items post the high-level meeting include intensifying high-level advocacy for harm reduction programming, expanding capacity building efforts, reviewing and aligning policies, addressing the cost and accessibility of essential harm reduction medications and other resources that are needed to scale up harm reduction in Malawi.
