KELIN were privileged to participate in a 2 day forum on the 27th and 28th of March at the Travelers Hotel Mombasa on Harm Reduction hosted by MUHURI. The theme of the forum was “Catalyzing Support for Drug Users.” The training brought together 100 participants from the Counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, Taita/Taveta, Lamu and Nairobi. Some of the organizations who were also invited for the forum include; HERAF, Red Cross, NASCOP, NACC, Ministry of Health and NACADA.
The key objectives of the forum were to advocate for a rights based approach to the provision of healthcare and treatment of drug users, to advocate for the enforcement of healthcare policies and guidelines for drug users, to advocate for the promotion and implementation of the harm reduction principle by the county and national governments, to advocate for a fully fledged treatment and rehabilitation centre for drug dependant persons and to advocate for a free and fair treatment and environment for recovering drug users.
It was observed that drug dependant persons, majority of whom were youth, needed space to freely get treatment and vent. Arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention and violent treatment including murder of people who use drugs and stigmatization of recovering drug users is still a reality to be reckoned with. It was thus agreed that advocating for the highest standards of health for drug users is key in the fight against drug abuse and HIV. Article 43 backed by Article 27 of the Constitution of Kenya are crucial in ensuring that drug dependent persons are given equal protection and benefit before the law and in the enjoyment of all rights and fundamental freedoms; the right to the highest attainable standards of health being one of them.
