Increasing capacity of service providers in HIV prevention among IDU prisoners and MARA
Starting date: 01.12.2008
The project is built on the previous initiatives developed in 6 Romanian cities by RHRN aiming to strengthen capacities of local service providers for designing, developing and implementing services for most vulnerable populations, benefiting by technical and financial support from UNICEF in 2004-2008 and UNODC in 2007-2008. Since its very beginning, RHRN has paid special attention to advocacy and training interventions aimed at (1) promoting harm reduction interventions among decision makers and service providers, and (2) ensuring quality implementation of services for most vulnerables.
The target groups for this project are:
- 50 professionals (guardians and medical staff) and peer educators from 5 Romanian prisons
- at least 75 professionals working in governmental structures and NGOs from Bucharest, Timisoara, Iasi and Constanta
- decision makers from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Justice
Beneficiaries
- injecting drug users from 5 Romanian prisons
- drug users accessing the opiate substitution treatment facilities
- professionals working in OST facilities
- MARA from Bucharest, Timisoara, Iasi and Constanta
RHRN aims to prevent and minimize the risk of HIV infection among most at-risk population, with a special focus on IDU prisoners (in 5 prisons) and MARA (adolescent boys and girls) engaging in risky behaviors (injecting drug use and sex work) in 4 cities. This goal will be achieved through a series of capacity building events and through elaboration and dissemination of a working protocol on opiate substitution treatment which is expected to be endorsed by decision makers representing the Ministries responsible with the regulation and provision of HIV prevention services for vulnerable groups.
By the end of this project, we expect an increase in HIV prevention services availability and their quality in five prisons and 4 Romanian cities.
