This individual is a guest contributor. MEI is not able to assist with contact requests.
Ms. Nadia Badran is Program Coordinator and Knowledge Hub Manager for Soins Infirmiers et Développement Communautaire (SIDC), a health care association based in Beirut, Lebanon. Ms. Badran has worked for more than 20 years at SIDC and, more broadly, in the field of public health. During her career, Ms. Badran has conducted and facilitated training workshops, developed educational materials, and addressed youth, parents and the general public on a variety of health care-related topics (e.g., HIV/AIDs/STIs, drugs use and abuse, harm reduction, and reproductive health). She has worked with media, religious leaders, civil society actors, government agencies and ministries at he national and regional levels, and other stakeholders to build awareness, skills and capacity in an effort to address health issues ore effectively and humanely.
Drug Use and Harm Reduction in the MENA Region and in Lebanon
Repressive policies that stigmatize and punish drug users have tended to exacerbate social problems rather than mitigate them. In contrast, harm reduction (HR) approaches to drug use have been shown to prevent the spread of blood-borne viruses (such as HIV, HBV, and HCV), thereby lowering morbidity and mortality rates. Over the past 15 years, many HR initiatives have been launched in the MENA region, including Lebanon. However, continued progress in HIV prevention will require more structured and comprehensive HR interventions, adjusted to the needs of local populations.
