In the context of the drug supply poisoning public health emergency in BC, PAN has led the Small Urban, Rural, and Remote (SURR) Harm Reduction Project to set priorities for sexually transmitted and blood borne infection (STBBI) harm reduction action in smaller BC communities, with participation from leaders in harm reduction, including people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) of substance use and HIV, community organizations, health authorities, and researchers. Overdose deaths are overrepresented in rural communities and strategies need to be tailored to communities to be effective.
Building on previous SURR meetings, this Summit will allow attendees to consider their experiences with research and evaluation initiatives, discuss successful and promising approaches, define future research priorities, and discuss potential common outcome measures. By bringing together people with diverse perspectives, we will encourage collaboration and creative problem solving to identify emerging challenges and opportunities and create space for new ideas to lead to collective impact. The Summit will offer a structured environment to develop a set of research and evaluation priorities for funding opportunities.