Harm reduction specialist Adriana Curado joins us in this episode of #GFNInsights to highlight how frontline harm reduction interventions have positively impacted marginalised communities in Portugal.
Transcription:
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Joanna Junak: In today's program, Adriana Curado from the Portuguese Activist Group on Treatments will tell us more about the group's activities and how the organization helps people improve their health, rights and quality of life. We met with Adriana in London and asked her a few questions. Let's hear what she had to say. Adriana, as a member of the Portuguese Activist Group on Treatment, what is your role within the organization?
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Adriana Curado: Yeah, I have had many roles over the years because I worked in GAD for 12 years. But I'm primarily linked to harm reduction interventions and programs with people who use drugs, illicit drugs. And now I have moved because I've been a scholar in the tobacco harm reduction scholarship. And I had the opportunity to work for the first time in tobacco and nicotine, with the tobacco and nicotine as a substance. And that was amazing. I'm also, I was a smoker. Now I moved into the... heated tobacco and also vaping. So it is personal and professional at the same time. So I'm very happy to be here and to listen to all these contributors and it's amazing.
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Joanna Junak: What are the main goals of the group's activities in relation to public health?
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Adriana Curado: GAT is an HIV community-based organization and we work with very different groups and communities affected by HIV. which includes people who use drugs, men who have sex with men, migrants, people engaging in sex work, so a lot of different and diverse communities. We have different services, but our focus is on HIV prevention, testing, and linkage to care. And we are very much and very strong on these activities, but at the same time we also engage drug policy reform and harm reduction services as well. And we aim to expand access to health care, also access to the best prevention tools and treatment options. And we have also focus on anti-discrimination, anti-stigma and to empower people and to give a voice to the communities.
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Joanna Junak: And which areas does the organization operate and which primary groups benefit from support?
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Adriana Curado: So we work closely and directly with people from all these communities I mentioned. And these are mostly communities affected by HIV and viral hepatitis, and mostly people who use drugs, who inject drugs, people who are engaging in sex work, or transgender people, men who have sex with men. So all these communities, we have different services, and the services sometimes are targeting more one of these populations.
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Joanna Junak: Okay, and the last question to you, Adriana. What legal and policy changes do you advocate for to improve the health and quality of life of people living with HIV?
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Adriana Curado: So that is... GATT has this whole services in prevention and testing and linkage to care but also is involved in a very political discussion and policy in the policy side especially regarding to access to health and to the best treatment and prevention options and also in health policy reform and drug policy reform. And it's also why we are interested in tobacco policies. We are working with some of the communities most affected by tobacco smoking. So it's in our interest that people have access to safer products. And that's it.
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Joanna Junak: Great. Thank you so much.