1. The Rise and Fall of Harm Reduction in Hungary
Funding, Political Support and Advocacy
PETER SAROSI Rights Reporter Foundation

2. Context - National spending
Government spending on drug related programmes and services (million HUF)
Source: Hungarian National Focal Point, National Reports,

3. 2009-2011: shift in the drug market

4. 2010s: Harm Reduction in Decline
2009: new, pro-harm reduction national drug strategy is adopted
2010: change of government – previous drug strategy is rejected
2011: needle distribution drops by 40%
2013: new, recovery-oriented drug strategy, aiming to make Hungary drug-free by 2020

5. Closure of the two largest NSPs
Jan 2014: protest against the NSP in Budapest
Aug 2014: the NSPs are closed down
Sept 2014: ombudsman report
March 2015: second NSP closed down

6. Changing trends (source: National Focal Point)

7. Less needles – more clients (source: National Focal Point)

8. Consequence: growing hepatitis C trends (source: National Focal Point)

9. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!