Advocacy
Advocacy services for people who inject drugs play a crucial role in supporting people by ensuring their voices are heard and their rights are respected.
We work to reduce stigma, improve access to healthcare, and promote safer environments for people who inject drugs. By offering guidance, resources, and advocacy services we help empower individuals to navigate challenges and access the care they need, while also advocating for policy changes that address their specific needs and promote harm reduction strategies.
Advocacy in action….
Raising DISC’s kaupapa public profile: Executive Director, Philippa Jones tells RNZ’s Kathryn Ryan how thirty-four years ago, in 1988, NZ was the first country in the world to introduce a national, government-funded needle exchange programme. She shares how successful the programme has become.
Lobbying for funding: increasing the scope for harm reduction strategies such as a specific clinic for people taking performance enhancing drugs - based on an NHS clinic set up in Edinburgh.
Lobbying to change the law: Members of NZ Parliament notified of the gap in current laws that prevent the distribution of safer smoking equipment, despite clear evidence that it could reduce harm and save lives. DISC advocates for policy that supports health and dignity for everyone.