ARF plans to purchase and maintain a mobile van to provide lifesaving health services to 1000 young disadvantaged drug users on the streets of Moscow, Russia.
Moscow has a growing population of drug injectors. Health authorities do not provide targeted health services, and stigma averts street drug users from protecting their health and dignity. As a result of needle-sharing, HIV is spreading fast. ARF provides needles, HIV and hepatitis tests, basic health services, social support, and referral. But we provide only on-foot outreach and cannot increase the daily number of clients. Due to cold weather in winter our services are often interrupted.
ARF is the only organization that provides targeted HIV prevention and harm reduction services to drug users in Moscow. We will purchase and maintain a vehicle to ensure uninterrupted provision of primary medical help, and better quality and comfort of HIV and other health counseling aimed at reducing drug related harm. More drug users will receive counseling, testing, referral to municipal medical services, warmth from heart to heart and much needed support from their peers.
The project will provide health education, lifesaving harm reduction services and support to 1000 drug users, enabling them to protect their health, prevent HIV and hepatitis, gain skills to avert overdose, obtain necessary treatment, including referral to rehabilitation and reintegrate into society.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
