The Harm Reduction program

The harm reduction program is the primary program of the NGO HOPS. Actually, this is the program with which HOPS started its operations in 1997. The program is directed towards reduction of drug related harm, and above all towards reducing the risk from:
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis B, C and other blood born and sexually transmitted diseases
Overdose
Other health consequences
Social consequences
It is based on services and assistance according to the s.c. low threshold and several services under one roof, and strives towards improving the health and social condition of users, via:
- Outreach
- Exchange of injecting equipment and condoms
- Education and information
- Basic medical help
- Social services
- Legal aid
These activities are performed in our 3 drop in centres in Bit Pazar, Kapistec and Suto Orizari, as well as during outreach.

Drop in

A typical example for one-stop services where in a friendly atmosphere customers may also receive all needed services:

-Exchange of sterile injecting equipment
- Free of charge condoms
- Services and counseling from a medical professional
- Services, informing and counseling from social workers
-Services and counseling from a legal professional
- Education for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other blood born and sexually transmitted infections
- Voluntary and confidential counseling and testing for HIV
- Education for safe injecting and safe sex
- Education regarding overdosing and prevention
- Information regarding types of treatments
- Information about the types of drugs and consequences of their usage
All services are free of charge and anonymous

Working time
Monday - Friday, 14:00 - 18:00.
Contact:

DTC Mavrovka, Skopje ; R. Macedonia
Tel: +389 (0) 2 3 130 058
е-mail: silvanan[@]hops.org.mk

Shuto Orizari: Ul. Shuto Orizari br. 54, Skopje , R. Macedonia
Теl: +389 (0) 75 528 260

e-mail: tomislavr.hops [at] gmail.com

Outreach program

Тел: 02 3 130 058
е-mail: hops [at] hops.org.mk
The primary aim of our outreach program is to reach specific user populations that do not use or use drop in centers very rarely: Roma, commercial sexual workers using drugs as well as hard-to-reach clients. At the moment, the outreach program is focus in the following regions of the town: Shutka, Chair, Topaana, Madzari, Hipodrom, Aerodrom, Karposh, Kisela Voda and Novo Lisice. All services that are offered in drop-in centers are also offered in our outreach program. The outreach program is performed with one terrain vehicle.

Outreach

Exchange of injecting equipment and condom distribution
The use of sterile injecting equipment is the best way of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS among intravenous drug users.
Since 1997, and conclusive with 2005, HOPS has distributed 989.289 needles and 557,448 injections for 1918 drug users.

* Total number of contacts excluding 1997/98
** Number of separate customers for 2003 and 2004. 100 clients appear in both years

Education and information

Within the Harm reduction program, the HOPS team offers education and information about: Drug types and consequences of their usage, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, C and other Blood & Sexual Transmitted Disease, safe injecting, safe sex, help in case of overdosing etc. To that aim, educational material, brochures and leaflets are printed and distributed free of charge.
Training professional staff
The HOPS team has organized a huge number of trainings for Harm reduction and principles of work with drug users for social workers, medical personnel in the primary health institution and for members of the Ministry of internal affairs.
Harm reduction training for 3 teams from the Red Cross, and for 7 teams from Kavadarci, Stip, Kumanovo, Ohrid, Gostivar, Strumica and Bitola was organized and implemented.
Also, the HOPS trained teams of Medicine Du Monde – Belgrade, Initiative for Health – Sofia and CAZAS – Podgorica.
Every year HOPS hold education of students from Institute for Social work and policy at the University “St. Kiril and Metodi” in Skopje.

Medical support

The medical team offers basic medical help for reducing the consequences of long term and inappropriate injecting:
- Cleaning wounds, treating abscesses
- Counselling for raising health conduct awareness
- Counseling for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, C and other Blood & Sexual Transmitted Disease
- Voluntary and confidential counselling and testing for HIV/AIDS
- Informing about the types of treatments existing in the country

Voluntery and Confidential Counceling and Testing
As of 2004, HOPS is providing a VCCT and in that respect it is the only NGO in Macedonia that does that. Conclusive with 31.12.2006 and with a 6 month break, up to now we have made 205 testings among injecting drug users and commercial sex workers.

Social services
The team of 4 social workers provides the following services on the outreach and in the drop in centres:

- Services and support for fulfilment of social rights (right to social welfare, health insurance etc.)
- Assistance in issuing necessary documents
- Linking with health and social institutions and accommodation there
- Providing employment related information
- Contacts with clients’ families etc.

*a) ИInformative counsel for receiving health insurance
*b) Informative counsel for receiving social welfare
*c) Informative counsel for issuing ID documents
*d) Reference to another appropriate institution or organization
*e) Informative legal counsel
*f) Counseling and other type of socioterapeutic individual intervention
*g) Informative council for accommodation or shelter
*h) Informative council regarding employment or employment training
*i) Counceling and other type of socioterpeutic group intervention

*j) Accompanying clients to different institutions and organisations
*k) Contacts with institutions on behalf of the client
*l) Visiting a client in his/her home
*m) Visiting the client in a health institution
*n) Administrative costs for issuing documents
*o) Free meal
*p) Other type of material support (clothes, blankets, vitamins)
*r) Informal conversations
*s) Contacts via phone

Provided social services