'Improving drug policy and practice through research'

The Burnet Insitute is proud to introduce Australia's exciting new Centre For Research Excellence into Injecting Drug Use. The Centre's vision is to improve the health of people who inject drugs through the generation of new evidence and the develeopment of tools for translating research into policy and practice. The centre is funded by the NHMRC.

We are very pleased to announce the Centre's inaugural annual Colloquium to be held on July 18th, 2011. With an interactive format and exciting mix of Australian and international speakers the Colloquium is designed to draw together researchers, affected communities, policy makers and practicioners to discuss research findings and their implications for policy and practice.

Keynote Speaker for the Colloquium will be 

from the British Colombia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. Professor Kerr will present on: 

Harm Reduction in Vancouver Canada: Responding to a Public Health Emergency

The Colloquium program will be grouped into four key themes:

Emerging issues and new developments in hepatitis

Linkages between injecting drug use and mental health

Overdose and state of the art overdose responses

Managing the injecting environment, including the contentious issues of supervised injecting facilities and vending machines

As numbers are capped, RVSP's are essential please contact liznicol@burnet.edu.au by Friday 8 July

Colloquium - Centre For Research Excellence into Injecting Drug Use - 18 July 

The Regional Dialogue will take place in September 2011, in the Middle East and North Africa region. In addition to giving voice to regional and country perspectives on issues of HIV and the law, the dialogue aims to contribute to regional efforts for creating enabling legal environments which support effective HIV responses. The forum will provide a unique opportunity for civil society to engage directly with government officials, law experts, United Nations representatives and members of the Global Commission to discuss gaps and opportunities for changes in the law, practices of law enforcement, issues with legal aid and access to redress.

The Commission looks forward to hearing from you if you have worked or presently work in the Middle East and North Africa on the following issues:

Laws and practices that effectively criminalise people living with HIV and vulnerable to HIV;

Laws and practices that mitigate or sustain violence and discrimination as lived by women;

Laws and practices that facilitate or impede HIV-related treatment access; and

Issues of law and HIV pertaining to children.

Instructions on how to submit can be found in the Call for Submissions, available in English and Arabic.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.

Events

Colloquium - Centre For Research Excellence into Injecting Drug Use - 18 July

Global Commission on HIV and the Law - Regional dialogue in the Middle East and North Africa