The 27th International Harm Reduction Conference HR23 has ended in Melbourne, Australia. The event takes place every two years and serves as a platform to exchange experience and present the latest achievements in the field of harm reduction, drug policy and human rights, bringing together more than 1000 participants from all over the world.
Our LGBT Health Coordinator Nikolay Lunchenkov also took part in the event and presented ECOM's study on the connection between financial insecurity caused by COVID-19, alcohol use and substance use behavior among LGBT communities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
“The COVID-19 pandemic became one of the biggest challenges to global health. It has had a dramatic impact on health and substance use of various populations, including members of the LGBT community.
And since social policies and the general atmosphere in Eastern Europe and Central Asia are homophobic and discriminatory, this leads to individuals being excluded from social protection programs," says Nikolay. “However, it's important to note that strategic information on the impact of COVID-19 on the region is limited.”
Data obtained by ECOM shows the vulnerability of the LGBT community caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the study show that financial insecurity is associated with an increase in alcohol consumption. Job loss and difficulty buying food led to increased alcohol consumption among a quarter of those surveyed. The increase in recreational drug use was not associated with economic outcomes.
“The results of the study show the importance of developing economic empowerment and social protection programs for members of the community. The increase in recreational drug use requires adjustments to existing HIV programs and adaptation of services to the new challenges caused by COVID-19,” emphasizes Nikolay Lunchenkov.
ECOM's study aimed to identify the link between financial insecurity and substance use over the past six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data was collected during June-August 2022 through an online questionnaire among representatives of the LGBT community in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Georgia. The results of the survey contain socio-demographic information, the economic situation of the respondents and information about changes in the use of psychoactive substances. The study involved 914 people, 10.7% of whom are living with HIV. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify links between substance use and economic outcomes. The study was conducted as part of the COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM).
The International Harm Reduction Conference took place on April 16-19 in Melbourne and was organized by Harm Reduction International (HRI). The theme of this year's conference is “Strength in Solidarity”, which underlined the importance of a joint response by communities of different countries as a global movement capable of dealing with current challenges.
Комментарии
Пока никто не оставил комментарий