Introduction to Module 4

By the end of this module you will:

• Understand philosophy of harm reduction.
• Have concrete plans for developing their existing services and adding new services.
• Understand public health ethical priorities of low-threshold services and negligence of not addressing behaviors that cause infections.
• Be able to engage PWUD in discussions about minimizing risks.

For planning any kind of project or activities involving local communities, the first step should be the analysis of the local situation and local needs, based on both quantitative (incidence/prevalence, mortality, access to testing and treatment by the target group through epidemiological and demographical records, surveys, reports, provided by both national and local institutions and international agencies) and qualitative data (collected, i.e. focus groups and face-to-face interviews). This is even more important when approaching health and social programs. Speaking about HIV and HCV rapid testing programs, the analysis of the local situation should include the collection of information about past and current trends of the infections among the specific target groups, the availability of testing, treatment and care facilities, as well as the needs and opinions of the selected target groups about perceived problems and constraints.

Moreover, before planning the testing methodology for HIV and HCV, as well as for other infectious diseases, it is fundamental to collect information about the current national legislation on testing procedures in order to plan activities which are in line with the national public health legislation.