14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain — July 7-12, 2002

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[TITLE:] The alia network: a shared harm reduction approach in latin countries

[AUTHOR(S):] M.J. Campos1, M. Dheur2, F. Olivet3, P. La Marca, V. Agnoletto, C. Sala4, V. Marti, M. De Andres5

Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12;14:Abstract No. G12483

[ABSTRACT:] Issues: The need of a network attitude is based on the analysis of the similarities, in latin countries, related to the spread of HIV virus and to its 'social' vectors (drugs consumption above all) connected with the late adoption of harm reduction strategies and with the obstacles, of a political nature, to its correct implementation.

DESCRIPTION: Alia (acronym of Abraco, Lila, Igia and Afr) is a recently developed network composed by four NGOs operating in the south countries of europe with the close collaboration of the institutions of each country. the main objective of the network is supporting harm reduction strategies in the latin countries in the south of europe and of the American continent.

LESSON LEARNED: The legislative and juridical framework is conditioning the potential of hr implementation, and the confusion created by different approaches made in adjacent countries it's not helping at all; for these reasons alia aims to represent a mediation between ngos and institutions, in order to avoid ideological confrontations, involving institutions and government representatives on a evidence-based kind of approach.

RECOMMENDATIONS: The first result of ALIA it's the organization of the 1st Edition of the Conference on Harm Reduction in Latin Countries (Barcelona Nov. 14th - 16th 2001) which hosted about 800 delegates coming from all the continents, and represented the first official step of the network. during the presentation the detailed scopes of alia will be discussed, along with the plan for the future, which includes the 2nd Conference on Harm Reduction in Latin countries, to be held in Perpignan (France) in 2003.

Presenting Author: Paolo La Marca

1Abraço, Lisbon, Portugal.

2AFR, Perpignan, France.

3ASUD, Paris, France.

4LILA CEDIUS, Milan, Italy.

5Grup IGIA, Barcelona, Spain.

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