Research: Access to health care (2014)

Two studies have been carried out at Mainline by students at the Vrije Universiteit in the context of their study Health Sciences (Specialization International Public Health). These studies have been done among people who use drugs.

1. Sexual and Reproductive Health Services for People who Use Drugs
Tatiana Mouhebati did research (thesis master) on the access that users have (in the eight BtG countries*) to services that focus on sexual health.

2.Service delivery for people who use Ampetamine-Type-Stimulants in alignment with harm reduction principles
Globally, the use of amphetamine (meth-) grows strongly. Agnes Walk examined (during her internship at Mainline) whether organizations - that focus on the health of drug users - are equipped on the needs of this group of users. She focused on the situation in South Africa, Indonesia and Nepal.

Advocacy for human rights of People who Use Drugs (2014)

Leon Essink examined how and to what extent advocacy for human rights of People who Use Drugs is currently being carried out. Additionally he researched how human right's advocacy can further improve the effectiveness of harm reduction strategies and services. Read the study

Report: Health & Rights for People who Use Drugs (2014)

Mainline and AFEW organized from the 8th till the 10th of April 2014 a Partner Meeting. Read the report

Tina and Slamming, a report on Crystal Meth in a sexual context (2015)

Recent years have seen a rise in the use of crystal meth (Tina) and intravenous drug use (slamming) in the European gay scene. This 'super speed' is popular among some gay networks in the Netherlands. We researched these two phenomena and published the findings. Read the report

Peer involvement: an exploration of best practices (2015)

In a qualitative study Hayley Murray explores best practices of peer involvement in harm reduction work. She answers questions such as: How can peer-led initiatives reach their full potential? How to align the interest and agenda of a peer to that of an organization? Why do most peers not get paid? Read the study 

Integration of Health Care and Harm Reduction services for People Who Use Drugs (2015)

In the Netherlands, services specifically addressing the needs of drug users are successfully integrated in the general health care system. However, how does the integration of services work in other countries? And how can local organisation stimulate or advocate for the integration of services? And are there occasions where it is better to organise services for drug users separate from other health services?

Bregje Albersen studied this topic. She zooms in on Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan and answers these questions in her thesis.

Speed Limits: harm reduction for people who use stimulants (2018)

With the support of the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD), a project implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a team of three Mainline researchers conducted a study into effective harm reduction interventions for stimulant users. The study includes a review of the evidence for different harm reduction strategies for stimulants and a detailed description of seven good practices in different world regions.

Read the executive summary here.

Towards a strategic plan for MEWA harm reduction department (2017)

Sofia Rapsaniotis is a student at the VU University in Amsterdam and currently finishing her Masters in Studies, Management, Entrepreneurship & Policy Analysis in the Health Sciences. Last year, she completed her graduate internship at Mainline Foundation where she worked on the development of a strategic plan for the MEWA harm reduction department, a partner-organisation of Mainline, based in Mombasa, Kenya.

Her thesis is a current situation analysis of human resource management and decision-making processes at the organization and a SWOT analysis.