REGIONAL OVERVIEW: WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

THE GLOBAL STATE OF HARM REDUCTION 2024 REGIONAL OVERVIEW WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA 7 There is a lack of naloxone peer distribution The region’s lack of adequate harm reduction interventions poses challenges to the health and in most countries in West and Central wellbeing of people who use drugs. [...] THE GLOBAL STATE OF HARM REDUCTION 2024 “Investment in holistic harm reduction programmes with specific gender-sensitive services and interventions to meet the needs of women who use and inject drugs are needed. [...] Involving female peers in the programmes can be an effective way to foster trust and encourage participation.” THE GLOBAL STATE OF HARM REDUCTION 2024 REGIONAL OVERVIEW WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA 10 KEY ISSUE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF SERVICES Adequate, long-term funding is critical to the The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and sustainability and scale up of harm reduction Malaria,32,33 Un. [...] However, while the Ministry was seeking donor investment to support the implementation of an OAT programme, the treatments expired.43 In another example, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission agreed with the Sierra Leone government to establish the first drug treatment, rehabilitation and harm reduction centre in the country. [...] The centre has gone from providing methadone as the first harm reduction centre in West and Central Africa to becoming a testing and diagnostic centre for HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis and also implements condom distribution.46 THE GLOBAL STATE OF HARM REDUCTION 2024 REFERENCES 12 1 Harm Reduction International, (2022), Regional Overview: West and 32 The Global Fund Office of the Inspector Gener.