Mainline is part of the Bridging the Gaps programme. With partners across the whole world, this programme is committed to the health and rights of drug users, sex workers and the LGBT community. Our goal: a world free of AIDS. 

The programme receives support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After a first phase between 2011 and 2015, Bridging the Gaps launched a second round in 2016 which will continue until 2020.

Several outstanding results are highlighted in this annual review. Within Bridging the Gaps, Mainline is the expert in the area of drug use. Mainline finances and establishes harm reduction projects. In 2017, this was done with partners in Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan and South Africa.

MENAHRA commissioned Mainline to prepare an advocacy plan. The objective: to enable people in the Middle East to lobby for better access to services for female drug users. Crucial efforts – women are often forgotten, but still face significant health risks due to their drug use. 

The result: a practical document which utilises international guidelines.

Are you working with an organisation providing harm reduction services in the Middle East? Are you part of a local human rights organisation? Are you someone who is simply drawn to the fate of this vulnerable group? Read our practical guide!

In 2017, Mainline developed a business plan with the help of a small grant from the Aidsfonds.
Mainline now extends advice regarding the purchase of harm reduction materials such as syringes and needles, Stericups, and other paraphernalia.

Our range of consultancy offerings has expanded.

View our expertise here! 

The heroin business is flourishing in Mombasa, Kenya. In collaboration with MEWA, Mainline launched a new project specifically targeted at female users.  

The organisation of support groups for women, breaking the silence on sensitive issues and providing access to testing services, clean syringes and condoms are a few examples of the services offered to women. MEWA is, however, also dedicated to providing specialised care surrounding pregnancy and children.

An additional training session will be organised in early 2018 by Mainline and a female doctor from the Pakistani organisation Nai Zindagi. The objective is to provide outreach workers and aid workers with the knowledge and skills required to help these women.

Nai Zindagi in Pakistan consistently discovers new avenues for the improvement of HIV treatment. In a new pilot, the organisation is bringing anti-retroviral treatment to the people. In 2017, this resulted in an immense improvement: in a large country such as Pakistan – with limited HIV healthcare – people no longer need to travel for days to collect their medication.

Read more about the innovations of this unique partner Nai Zindagi here.
 

Mainline developed the Mainline Quickscan in 2016 and 2017 whereby Mainline outreach workers map a region’s drugs situation over a relatively short period. 

Mainline gathered information from users on the street, local experts, drugs forums, outreach workers, venue owners and police, across the various sections of society.
Alkmaar, Zwolle and the municipality of Hof van Twente utilised the Mainline Quickscan in 2016; Haarlem and Kampen did so in 2017.

Alcohol and nitrous oxide

The Quickscan in Kampen consisted of field studies, interviews with local youth and extensive input from professionals. The scan indicated that alcohol, including binge drinking, is relatively accepted – also among underage youth. Laughing gas also proved popular in Kampen. This is sold at various nightlife venues. Alcohol and laughing gas are openly discussed. Within the community, a greater taboo is attached to other drugs which are used to a lesser extent, in certain sub-scenes.

In 2017, Mainline provided dozens of workshops, trainings and presentations addressing drugs and health throughout the Netherlands.  

Participants are drawn from mental health care services, addiction care, social aid and shelters.

Popular training programmes are ‘Complex Contacts’ – about substance abuse and psychiatry – and ‘Coffee and Contact’ – about making contact in an approachable manner.

The chemsex team provided trainings concerning drug use and sexual risk behaviour amongst men who have sex with men (MSM).

Most organisations prefer to draw particular elements from our training selection and receive a custom workshop or training session.

For more information about our training programmes, check out our training page. 
 

Since 2017, Mainline has been collecting used needles throughout the country. The syringes are then evaluated to determine which drugs and adulterants can be detected. This reveals crucial information, such as local variations in drug use.  

The syringe analysis is an element of a European study of the makeup of used needles. As commissioned by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), the French Monitoring Centre (OFDT) is coordinating this project. 

300 used syringes

The study was conducted in the Netherlands, Hungary, Scotland, Switzerland, France and Sweden.

Each country collected 300 used syringes for analysis in order to gather information about drug use amongst injection drug users.

The Trimbos Institute is leading the study in the Netherlands. Mainline is responsible for needle collection. This was conducted throughout the country in various drugs scenes and in collaboration with local organisations.

The study results are expected in early 2018.