Oct. 14-16

Budapest, Hungary

Conference Goal: To present current treatment concepts in the larger context of public health policy and prevention strategies. Conference Objectives: To review current epidemiology in the region To compare policy initiatives To discuss treatment, prevention and harm reduction strategies To present strategies for effective communications and social change     Sunday, 14 October Chair: Ewa Osiatynska, PhD, Certified Addiction Specialist; Director, Regional Alcohol and Drug Program, Open Society Institute, New York 8:15   Registration 9:00   Welcome 9:15   The Legacy of Albert Schweitzer Julius Landwirth, MD, JD, Director, Health Care Programs, Albert Schweitzer Institute, Connecticut, USA 9:30   Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol Policies in CCEE and NIS Nina Rehn, Technical Officer, Management of Substance Dependence, World Health Organization, Lausanne, Switzerland 10:00   Discussion 10:15   Introductions / Expectations - Small Group Discussions 10:30   Small Group Reports 10:45   Break 11:30   Alcohol Addiction as a Treatable Disease Bohdan Woronovich, Director, Addiction Therapy Center, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland 12:00   Discussion 12:30   Group Photo 12:45   Lunch Chair: Julius Landwirth 13:45   Alcohol Use and Prevention - Polish Adolescents Antoni Zielin'ski, PhD, Guide, Subdepartment on Expertises and Analyses, Department of Studies on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland 14:15   What Do Young People Think? Patricia Polgár, Peer Educator, BOKA (Budapest Medical Student Peer Educator Foundation), Budapest; Delegate to WHO Ministerial Conference on Young People and Alcohol, 21 February, 2001 14:30   Discussion 15:00   Break 15:30   Changing Perspectives on Recovery from Alcoholism Wiktor Osiatynski, PhD, Open Society Institute; Professor, Central European University 16:15   Discussion 16:30   International Project on Prevention and Early Detection Miklos Fodor, Hungary 17:00   Discussion 17:15   Preview of Tuesday's Discussion Groups 17:30   Adjourn 18:00   Dinner       Monday, 15 October Chair: Bohdan Woronovich 9:00   Ethical and Legal Aspects of Alcohol Policy in Hungary Béla Buda, MD, Psychiatrist, Scientific Director, National Institute for Drug Prevention, Budapest 9:30   Discussion 9:45   Overview of Regional Alcohol and Drug Program Ewa Osiatynska 10:15   Discussion 10:30   Break 11:00   The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a Philosophy of Recovery Sergiy Dvoryak, MD, PhD, President, "Steps" Rehabilitation Center, International Charity Organization, Odessa, Ukraine 11:45   Discussion 12:00   Alcohol Abuse and Violence Malgorzata Sieczkowska, MA, Psychotherapist, 'Sedno' Society of Social Prophilaxy, Poznan, Poland 12:30   Discussion 12:45   Lunch Chair: Sergiy Dvoryak 13:45   Treatment of Alcoholics in Prison - Ewa Osiatynska - Victor Delevi, Psychologist, Director, Samara Branch, "No to Alcohol and Drug Dependency" Foundation, Russia 14:30   Discussion 14:45   Recovering "Consultants": a New Profession Valentina Novikova, Director, "Our Way" Rehabilitation Program in Therapy and Dependency, St. Petersburg, Russia 15:15   Discussion 15:30   Break 16:00   Education of "Gate Keepers" (Police, Clergy, Teachers) Janka Hazirova, Open Society Foundation, Bratislava, Slovakia 16:30   Discussion 17:00   Adjourn 18:00   Dinner 19:30 - 21:00   AA Public Information Meeting     Tuesday, 16 October Chair: Julius Landwirth 9:00   The WHO European Alcohol Action Plan Cees Goos, Former Regional Advisor, WHO, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen 9:30   Discussion 9:45   Strategies for Behavior Change and Communication - Cate Cowan, Senior Communication Specialist, Academy for Educational Development, Washington, DC, USA - Ronne Ostby, Senior Community Relations Specialist, Center for Social Marketing and Behavior Change, Academy for Educational Development 10:45   Break 11:15   Concurrent Discussion Groups (Room numbers will be posted)   - Policies and Programs for Harm Reduction in Youth Facilitators: Cees Goos, Patricia Polgár - Substance Abuse Prevention in the Workplace Facilitator: Tija Vanaga, MD, Director of the Board, ALNA Council of Latvia (Riga) - Behavior Change: Turning Theory into Practice Facilitator: Cate Cowan, Ronne Ostby - Harm Reduction in Alcohol Abuse Facilitators: Ewa Osiatynska, Viktor Delevi 12:15   Lunch 13:15   Repeat Discussion Groups 14:15   Room Change 14:30   Introduction to Workshops - Main Conference Room 14:45   Workshops on Sub-Regional Priorities 15:45   Break 16:15   Workshop Reports 17:00   Closing Remarks 17:15   Adjourn 18:00   Dinner         Schweitzer Conferences and Seminars Mission In collaboration with international and local organizations and professionals, to design and implement meetings which promote interdisciplinary interaction and problem-solving, stimulate public health capacity building, and inspire new public health initiatives through the exploration of clinical, public health, human rights and ethical issues as they relate to improving the health of targeted populations, and in particular the needs of vulnerable groups. Albert Schweitzer Institute The Albert Schweitzer Institute is an international nonprofit organization that conducts educational programs in youth ethics and health care development. Inspired by Albert Schweitzer's exemplary humanitarian service and concepts of "Reverence for Life," the Institute initiates pilot education projects that teach young people ethical values and encourage their commitment to community service in the United States and abroad. Founded in 1984 as the Albert Schweitzer Memorial Foundation, the Institute's offices are located in Wallingford, Connecticut.  Over the years, the Institute has organized conferences, lectures and workshops, sponsored fellowships and awards, shipped humanitarian aid to developing countries, and publicly advocated for human rights and world peace. The Open Society Institute - New York The Open Society Institute - New York (OSI-New York) is a major international foundation which promotes the development of open societies. OSI-New York develops and implements a variety of domestic and international programs in the areas of educational, social, political, and legal reform, and encourages public debate and policy alternatives in complex and often controversial fields.  OSI-New York is part of a network of more than 30 autonomous nonprofit foundations and other organizations created and funded by philanthropist George Soros in Central and Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union, Haiti, and South Africa, as well as in the United States. OSI-New York assists these foundations with program development and technical and administrative support. Working with the OSI network, other NGOs, and governmental agencies, OSI-New York develops, funds, and operates a variety of programs aimed at improving the health and well-being of people in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU).  OSI's Public Health Programs in CEE and the FSU focus on promoting effective public health policy development, supporting the development of a population-oriented public health infrastructure, strengthening the capacity of professional organizations to develop and implement quality standards and professional ethics, and promoting public involvement in health.  Specific priority areas for OSI include tuberculosis control, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, care for the elderly, mental disabilities, prison health and palliative care. OSI's Network Public Health Programs and the Albert Schweitzer Institute developed the Schweitzer Conferences and Seminars to reorient health care providers in the region towards a public health, systems approach to health care delivery by encouraging dialogue among clinical and non-clinical professionals in structured problem-solving seminars. International Harm Reduction Development Program Within the past ten years injecting drug use has increased dramatically in most countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States.  HIV infection rates in the region - driven largely by injecting drug use - have grown sharply in the same period.  According to the UN, the region has the world's steepest HIV curve, with the number of HIV infections more than doubling to 700,000 from 1999 to the end of 2000.   In response to the twin epidemics of injecting drug use and HIV infection, OSI's International Harm Reduction Development program (IHRD) has implemented projects based on the philosophy of harm reduction, which focuses on reducing drug-related harm while protecting human rights.  Harm reduction has proven effective in preventing HIV and promoting public health.  By the end of 2000, IHRD along with the Soros foundations and its partners had supported the creation of over 150 harm reduction projects in twenty-four countries.  All of these projects, with the exception of a few methadone treatment programs, are needle and syringe exchanges, serving more than 50,000 clients per month.   Several new and important service initiatives were undertaken in 2000. In funding competitions, IHRD selected 10 government agencies and NGOs to deliver harm reduction services to prisoners, and awarded 33 grants to organizations addressing the needs of commercial sex workers.  A successful pilot effort was undertaken to meet the needs of street kids in Central Asia.  IHRD also established connections with the Romani community, including providing a training for young Romani outreach workers in the Czech Republic and hiring a Romani activist to serve as IHRD's advisor for Romani issues.   To promote sustainability for its current projects, IHRD implemented a large-scale training program to provide technical assistance on organizational development; overdose prevention; outreach and secondary needle exchange; responding to needs of HIV infected clients; needs of drug using women; research and data collection; and targeting the needs of minorities/community building.