Poonam graduated from Asian University for Women in Bangladesh majoring in Public Health. She has been involved in the harm reduction project for Women Who Use Drugs (WWUDs) across multiple districts in Nepal from about 2 years now in an NGO named Recovering Nepal working as a Program Officer.

Nepal, being a predominantly male-dominated society, offers limited harm reduction (HR) services specifically for women who use drugs (WWUD). Despite this challenge, Nepal successfully secured funding for an HR project from ViiV Healthcare, a UK-based pharmaceutical company. Recovering Nepal (RN) launched harm reduction services in four districts—Chitwan, Hetauda, Rupandehi, and Banke—aimed at supporting WWUDs. RN implemented gender-specific HR services; Needle Syringe Exchange Program customized for WWUD. In coordination with the government, NCASC (National Center for AIDS & STDs Control) for HR commodities. We have successfully identified women who use drugs (WWUDs) in four districts of Nepal, providing services to 850 WWUDs as of August 2024. The project incorporates several key components, including sexual and reproductive health and rights education, an HIV/AIDS awareness program, and outreach programs in schools and colleges focusing on HIV and drug education. Additionally, we have implemented a community-based harm reduction initiative, focus group discussions, referral services, supported drug treatment, and emergency funds.

Beyond harm reduction services, we conducted surveys among our clients, which revealed that more WWUDs, as well as other vulnerable and marginalized communities, remain neglected, even within national HIV/AIDS programs. This underscores the urgent need for behavior change communication (BCC), information, education, and communication (IEC) on HIV, and geographic expansion of existing harm reduction services. A year-end survey in 2024 with 850 WWUDs across four districts showed that 90% advocated for the continuation of current harm reduction services, while 10% requested additional gender-sensitive services, including legal support for violence, child custody, and citizenship issues. Furthermore, 85% reported facing significant challenges: 25% experienced police harassment, 25% faced stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings, and 5% called for more women-friendly and free rehabilitation services. The project survey outcomes demonstrate an urgent need to scale up gender-sensitive harm reduction services, given its focus on women.