ID: HR25-375
Presenting author: Thainá Alves Lira

Presenting author biography:

Originally from the Northeast of Brazil, a pharmacist, harm reductionist, and bisexual. Since 2018, she has been working with the Balanceará Collective for Risk and Harm Reduction at Parties and is currently part of the Teaching and Research Nucleus at the É de Lei Drop-in Center in São Paulo.

Human Rights and Drug Policy: Reflections from an Intersectoral Forum

Thainá Alves Lira, Gisele Costa, Diva Sativa, Ananda Vieira Portaro, Michel William de Castro Marques
É de Lei Drop-In Center is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that has been working for over 25 years with a Harm Reduction perspective for people who use drugs in the city of São Paulo. During this time, É de Lei has worked to increase the political participation of people affected by drug policies, especially in spaces of social control. To this end, it became crucial to strengthen the link between these people, health network professionals and organized civil society. In this context, the Intersectoral Forum on Drugs and Human Rights (Fórum Intersetorial de Drogas e Direitos Humanos, FIDDH), established in 2008 by É de Lei, emerges as a fundamental advocacy strategy to create a network capable of influencing public health policies toward the principles of harm reduction. FIDDH’s actions highlight the importance of intersectoral public policies and dialogue between different fields of knowledge as a way to promote a more inclusive and effective approach. In 2024, FIDDH mobilized stakeholders to discuss access to STI/HIV/AIDS prevention policies and health care. These activities were carried out through debates and workshops, with a focus on active community participation. The data generated by these territorial meetings resulted in a report and a booklet that served as the basis for the Municipal Seminar on Human Rights and Prevention and Harm Reduction Policies. The results of the activities were presented and the importance of inclusive health policies was emphasized. As a result of FIDDH, É de Lei intends to continue articulating with health and social assistance services, focusing on preventing STIs and viral hepatitis, as well as strengthening its work with people who use drugs in São Paulo, in order to better meet the demands of people affected by the war on drugs and their communities.