WHO Collaborating Centre for Harm Reduction

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Harm Reduction, Public Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Lithuania was established in April 2013. The Collaborating Centre was established with the support of the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN) and the Vilnius Centre for Addictive Disorders. “WHO’s designation of the Lithuanian Public Health Institute (PHI) as the first WHO Collaborating Centre on Harm Reduction reaffirms the importance of and our commitment to applying evidence-informed interventions when responding to HIV in the European Region”, says Martin Donoghoe, Programme Manager HIV/AIDS, STIs and Viral Hepatitis, WHO Regional Office for Europe.

Harm reduction is a set of policies, programmes, services and actions that aim to reduce the harm to individuals, communities and society related to drugs, including HIV infection. Lithuania has been one of the Region's leaders in implementing WHO recommendations on HIV prevention among people who inject drugs.