International NGO Collaboration as a Catalyst to Effective Harm Reduction Practices Regarding Viral Hepatitis Prevention, Screening and Cure.


Author: Bigg D, Nalinikanta RK

Theme: Social Science & Policy Research Year: 2017

International NGO Collaboration as a Catalyst to Effective Harm Reduction Practices Regarding Viral Hepatitis Prevention, Screening and Cure.

Authors:
Bigg D1, Nalinikanta RK2

1 Chicago Recovery Alliance, 2 CoNE Manipur

Introduction:
Nalinikanta RK and Bigg are directing organizations thousands of miles apart and now in the second year of collaboration regarding harm reduction practices in general and HCV-related care in particular.

HCV prevention, screening and cure involve multiple mechanisms and operations and quite expectedly geographically diverse NGOs would have both strengths and weaknesses in optimal development of the mechanisms for preventing and curing chronic HCV infections. This presentation will address how such a collaboration came into being and how it is instructive for both the NGOs and similarly concerned entities in moving toward elimination of HCV.

Methods:
Internationally HCV advocates helped arrange the partnership between CoNE and CRA. Collaborative development has included extensive online communication, visits, and work on relationship building for HCV cures and prevention of new infections, as well as other harm reduction work such as opioid overdose prevention with naloxone.

Results:
One NGOs strengths can be the weaknesses of another, especially when working across the world to form relationships for a common cause: good harm reduction practice. CoNE and CRA joined a couple years ago to improve upon our common goals as able and willing. Each organization brought its strengths and needs to the table to begin this process and it is a work in progress yet the collaboration has enjoyed major success.

To date the collaboration has resulted in over 100 SVR12s being reached among people actively using drugs, their loved ones and other harm reduction workers. Further, as CoNE and CRA get to know each other’s work we have shared harm reduction practices which are focused on preventing new HCV/HIV infections, treatment alienation and insufficiency and other harm reduction operations which either program had had success with over the years. These harm reduction practices have included opioid substitution therapies, opioid overdose prevention and sterile syringe access and hepatitis preventative injection practices and development.

Increasingly, CoNE and CRA hope to continue their collaboration as possible and build that most successful approach for facilitating good harm reduction practices including curing as many chronic HCV infections as possible.

Conclusion:
Given the diversity of conditions CoNE and CRA deal with it is very compelling to learn that progress on some of the most challenging health conditions such as HCV, HIV and opioid overdose can be collaboratively improved through international collaboration and humanitarian cooperation for both partners.

Disclosure of Interest Statement:
No disclosures of conflict of interest apply.

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