INPUD. Peers in the Pandemic (9 November - 11 December, 2020)
INPUD. Peers in the Pandemic (9 November - 11 December, 2020)
COVID-19 has exposed the failure of our health systems to adequately provide the services and care people need. As is too often the case in times of crisis, people who use drugs have been particularly at risk as harm reduction services have been closed, defunded or made inaccessible in a pandemic environment. This has been particularly troublesome on peer-led programmes as lockdown measures have increased the threat of criminalisation.
Despite these barriers people who use drugs have looked after each other during the pandemic, providing essential care and services to meet the needs of communities where the state is absent. Advocacy by peer-led groups has resulted in some states adopting harm reduction policies championed by the community for decades. As we continue to navigate the realities of a COVID-19 environment, it is imperative that these reforms are maintained and expanded during the remainder of the pandemic and beyond. (INPUD, 16.11.2020)