It was a very different morning bus ride for UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima as she boarded the hepatitis bus in Oslo, Norway, to hear more about the work of ProLAR, an organization that supports people who use drugs. ProLAR provides a range of services, including opioid substitution therapy and testing for HIV and hepatitis C. It is also active in calling for changes in drug policy and promotes evidence-informed policy that involves the affected communities.

“We welcome people who use drugs into a warm, safe space. Here we can talk, get to know each other then take the necessary tests,” explained Ronny Bjørnestad, Managing Director of ProLAR.

According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, around 9000 people who inject drugs lived in Norway in 2019, many in the two largest cities, Oslo and Bergen. In 2015, the Norwegian Government presented a new action plan addressing substance use and addictions that prioritizes prevention, early intervention, treatment and aftercare for people who use drugs. In 2018 the European Centres for Disease Control reported that there were only six new diagnosis of HIV among people who inject drugs in Norway. Read more via UNAIDS