Theme: Models of Care Year: 2024
Background: In the drug policy field, there are countless health problems such as HIV, Hepatitis and other communicable diseases, besides numerous victims of prohibitionist regimes and the endless “war on drugs”. An evaluation considered that Brazil bases its drug policy not on health care, but on incarceration, violence, police lethality and compulsory hospitalization. Harm Reduction non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are key in promoting change, seeking an increased engagement in United Nations (UN) human rights bodies to promote human rights.
Description of model of care/intervention/program: Brazil has a long experience in community-based health approach, outreach work and family health. Looking forward to retrieving Brazil’s 30 years of harm reduction (HR) experience, progressive NGOs are making efforts to impact drug policies and help to improve care models merging all our knowledge with that of international progressive partners. Brazilian NGOs carry out and maintain HR actions in large cities, often without funding. They also promote focused actions on Parliament trying to modify laws criminalizing people who use drugs, and partake local, regional or nationwide public committees to promote HR and human rights.
Effectiveness: Brazilian model of care is turning back to HR and human rights activists have realized the importance of: understanding new experiences and their historical evolution; denouncing inconsistencies, limitations and problems in emerging policies and also in the UN’s current system of international control; and proposing innovations based on their experiences and building political articulations including foreign partners.
Conclusion and next steps: As advances and setbacks become evident, activists realize the importance of rescuing the achievements of Brazilian’s Universal Health Care System (SUS) – the largest government-run public health care system in the world – in terms of equity, universality and social participation. We have the important task of strengthening the public system, finding the challenges and disseminating good results.