In October 2007, the International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) invited over 30 stakeholders to Nairobi, Kenya to participate in the inaugural meeting of a sub-Saharan African Harm Reduction Network. Participants included civil society organisations working in the drugs (including alcohol) field, researchers, harm reduction advocates, representatives from UNODC and UNAIDS and key donor organisations. The name agreed upon for the new network is SAHRN, the Sub-Saharan Africa Harm Reduction Network.

The countries in the SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA are:Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zanzibar, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Liberia.

The mission of SAHRN is to support, develop, promote and advocate for harm reduction approaches in the field of substance use, HIV/AIDS, public health and social exclusion by following the principles of human rights and freedoms.

Membership of SAHRN shall be open to any organisation or person, regardless of race, age, gender, sexual orientation or ability, who actively promote harm reduction, including non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, governmental organisations, service providers, the private sector and others in the Sub-Saharan countries. It is the responsibility of members of SAHRN to support and uphold the Mission statement.

Click here to join SAHRN