While heated debates around Draft Law No. 104 and the future of drug policy continue in Moldova, we are investing in constructive solutions.
This week, with the support of the Alliance for Public Health within the multicountry #iSoS programme, a Moldovan expert delegation completed a study visit to Lithuania. The delegation brought together representatives of the Ministry of Health, the medical university, narcological services, and harm reduction organisations of Moldova.
The visit was organised by the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA) and the Republican Centre for Addictive Disorders of Lithuania (RPLC).
Over two days, the delegation explored how an EU member state organises support for people with substance dependence:
✅ integration of addiction services — from prevention and harm reduction to treatment and recovery — into the mental health care system;
✅ organisation and decentralized delivery of opioid agonist therapy;
✅ patient monitoring and documentation systems.
The experts also visited the Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control Department, the Šeškinė polyclinic, and the harm reduction site of NGO Demetra.
This study visit is a key step in developing Moldova’s National Drug Strategy and reforming health care and drug policy on the country’s path to EU accession. Learning from the best European practices — rather than resorting to punitive measures — is exactly what brings Moldova closer to EU standards.