As part of the event, Rafaela Rigoni, C-EHRN’s Scientific Officer presented the Civil Society-led Monitoring for Harm Reduction, one of C-EHRN’s most significant achievements from recent years, with the title Frontline perspectives: Civil society-led monitoring of harm reduction in Europe.

Rafaela discussed the crucial role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in the development and implementation of measures to reduce the harms of drug use and in monitoring and evaluating program policies. Her presentation analysed the challenges and experiences in building a framework to monitor the implementation of harm reduction in Europe from the viewpoint of frontline harm reduction workers.

She presented the monitoring framework developed by C-EHRN’s research group since 2018, which collects data on the accessibility and acceptability of harm reduction services, hepatitis C care for people who inject drugs, and drug trends. The monitoring tool operates through a network of Focal Points, harm reduction services in 36 European cities in 34 different countries.

Mapping the situation on a city level, the approach provides the foundations for the critical evaluation of harm reduction implementation against European policy goals and reflects the CSO’s perspectives, which is critical for optimising the local planning of services and developing effective and respectful drug policies.

Curious about the results of last year’s monitoring? Check out the Monitoring Data Report and the Executive Summary!