Central and Eastern European Summit 2023

PODANÉ RUCE ORGANISED THE CEES 2023 ON THE TOPIC OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND HEALTH IN PEOPLE WITH ADDICTIONS.

The organisation Podané ruce, along with other partners, organised a two-day conference in June on the topic of infectious diseases and health in people with addictions. Experts from the Czech Republic and abroad gathered in Prague to exchange knowledge and experiences from their respective practices.

The Clarion Congress hotel in Prague was filled with Czech and international experts from the healthcare, social, and public services sectors. They engaged in discussions on topics such as early diagnosis, continuity of care, and treatment of viral hepatitis C (HCV), HIV, and other infectious diseases, especially among drug users. „In the Czech Republic, we have successfully managed to control HIV and hepatitis C infections. However, the numbers are still not as desired. We need to push for a change in the system – invest more money in treatment and prevention and find more efficient ways to bridge the gap between the healthcare system and people on the margins of society,“ remarked Jindřich Vobořil, Director of Podané ruce, during the conference’s opening discussion.

The primary objective of the summit was to promote the dissemination of good practices and facilitate the exchange of experiences among experts specializing in infectious diseases among individuals who use addictive substances. „Podané ruce has been dedicated to the prevention of communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C since its beginnings. Each year, around 11,000 individuals at high risk of infection come to our centres. By conducting screening, we annually identify several hundred cases of hepatitis C. This disease poses a deadly danger, often remaining undetected for years. We call it a silent epidemic,“ explained Jindřich Vobořil.

Summit delegates had the opportunity to partake in presentations offering various perspectives on the issue of infectious diseases. In addition to healthcare professionals, representatives of groups affected by this issue and working with drug users also delivered presentations. Notable speakers of the summit included Doc. Viktor Mravčík, Director of Research and Education at Podané ruce; Jindřich Vobořil, CEO of of Podané ruce; Prof. Petr Urbánek, Head of the Internal Clinic at the 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and the Central Military Hospital; Dr. Soňa Franková from the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine; and Dr. Jan Bodnar, Deputy Director of the General Health Insurance Company for Healthcare. International experts included, Ganna Dovbahk, Executive Director of the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association; Tessa Windelickx, Coordinator of the NGO Free Clinic; Ligia Parodi from EuroNPUD, and others shared their insights at the conference.

„For me, it is important to emphasize the role of outreach and harm reduction services as the frontline and entry point for any screening, treatment, care, and support for HCV, HIV, or tuberculosis – especially in times of crisis when vulnerable people become even more vulnerable,“ explained Ganna Dovbahk, Executive Director of the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association.

„I believe that our international cooperation will deepen even further in the future. I am a proponent of the idea that we still have a lot to learn from each other and draw inspiration from practices abroad,“ concluded Jindřich Vobořil at the conference closing panel discussion.

The entire event was simultaneously interpreted into Czech and English with accreditation provided with ten credits by the Czech Medical Chamber, as part of continuous education (ID 111344).

The official media partner of the conference is Zdravotnický deník. Other partners of CEES 2023 include the Society of Infectious Medicine, the Czech Hepatology Society, Podané ruce Clinic, the Society for Addictive Diseases, Healgen, MediMedi, Correlation European Harm Reduction Network, the nonprofit organization SANANIM, the Euroasian Harm Reduction Association, the National Screening Centre, and the Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic.

VIDEO & GALLERY FROM CONFERENCE

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The beautiful capital city of Prague, within the heart of Europe, is to host a summit to look into the gaps and needs to link infectious diseases screening of those vulnerable, especially people who use drugs (PWUD) with care and treatment follow up. It brings together professionals from a wide range of disciplines.

The conference is organised by Spolecnost Podane ruce o.p.s., the largest non-governmental organisation in the Czech Republic offering expert social and health services in the field of addictions through its 50+ centres and 3 regions of Czech Republic.