Saranda, Albania – 2021

Lead Organisation: Aksion Plus

-Awareness, education and outreach, capacity building of young people (including those who already use
drugs) on Drug use/HIV/STI protection, human rights among young people in different cities.
– Meetings with stakeholders and other partner NGOs, policymakers, government officials, media journalists, local and regional authorities, especially Institute of Public Health (IPH): to promote reproductive rights and empowerment of the most vulnerable groups.
– Increasing the access of opioid substitution therapy (OST) beneficiaries (sex workers, people who use drugs etc.) towards medical, social, psychological and legal services in addressing the recommendations to responsible institutions.
– Focus groups with beneficiaries in the OST centres of Aksion Plus in Tirana and 8 other districts.
– Dissemination of informative materials (IEC) about STIs/ advocacy materials, T-shirts and caps, informing corners, and talks with people who inject drugs and outreach workers on June 26.

– Global Awareness Campaign ‘Support, Don’t Punish’; on June 26. This year it aimed to launch an online campaign that will include the Faculty of Social Sciences of Tirana, Barleti University, and volunteers with which Aksion Plus has a several-year collaboration.
-Then we had an on-site meeting in the premises of Barleti University with students, professors, representatives from the municipality of Tirana, representatives from Institute of Public Health, representatives from Toxicology Dept.
– An interview with a journalist (a person who uses drugs and a representative from Aksion Plus).

Video link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=851104322495629

Supportive statement: http://dpnsee.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Support-Dont-Punish-SEE-Appeal.pdf

Contact information: [email protected]