The Secretariat is the executive body of EHRN and its major function is to implement the Network's Strategic Plan with guidance from the Steering Committee. It was established in 2001 and is based in Vilnius, Lithuania. Lithuania was chosen for the office for multiple reasons, including its being situated geographically and historically between the East and the West of the Network's region, its relatively early and good practice of harm reduction, small size which allows maintaining region-wide focus and its wide usage of both English and Russian languages.

SECRETARIAT STAFF MEMBERS:

Sergey Votyagov
Executive Director
Email: sergey [eta] harm-reduction.org
Office: +370 5 212 2154
Cell: +370 685 51553

From 2003 till 2008 Sergey worked as Policy Program Manager at Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC) where he was responsible for developing and leading public health advocacy strategies, partnership building, and program management in politically challenging environments in Russia and Ukraine. Since 2010 Sergey acted as EHRN's Program director with transition to Executive director in 2011. Sergey is responsible for providing leadership and direction to the organization’s program initiatives, policy activities, and projects.

Policy and Advocacy Program, Manager

Email: dasha [eta] harm-reduction.org

Office: +370 5 269 1600

Dasha has been involved in EHRN work since 2003, when she has joined the Secretariat as an information manager. Since then, she conducted a number of trainings on advocacy and community mobilization, contributed into the creation of EHRN publications, and was involved as a drug policy coordinator in the framework of the EHRN Drug Policy Advocacy project. Since October 2009 Dasha has been elected as the chairperson of the EHRN Steering Committee. Dasha’s 12-years experience in harm reduction includes both field work with drug users and collaboration with governmental institutions, policy work and management of non-governmental organizations.

Responsibilities: policy dialogue and advocacy work coordination.

Simona Merkinaite
Policy and Advocacy Program, Officer
Email: simona [eta] harm-reduction.org
Office: +370 5 269 1600
Cell: +370 682 544 01

Simona has been a part of the EHRN team from 2004 and since then she has gained experience in working in all areas of EHRN work, including capacity building, information and research on variety of topics, such as documentation of hepatitis C, policy, young people and other.  Since the end of 2008 Simona focuses on the policy and advocacy work, including provision of support to country advocacy of policy reform, advocacy of evidence based and human rights based policies on national, regional and international levels. She also represents the region of Eurasia  in the International Drug Policy Consortium Steering Group. Simona is currently undergoing PhD studies in political science.

Responsibilities: policy dialogue and advocacy work..

Marija Subataite
Technical Support Program, Manager
Email: marija [eta] harm-reduction.org
Office: +370 5 2609 007
Cell: +370 687 385 11

Marija has a background in psychology and international communication. She has been working at EHRN since 2003, coordinating special initiatives, projects (HIV prevention and treatment advocacy, access to services for women who use drugs, CSAT initiative, UNGASS, Universal Access related projects) and partnerships with international organizations (International Council of AIDS service Organizations, AIDS Action Europe).

Responsibilities: coordination of technical support activities at EHRN, the Harm Reduction Knowledge Hub for Europe and Central Asia, ATOME project.

Andrius Loshakevichius

Technical Support Program, Officer

Email: andrius [eta] harm-reduction.org
Office: +370 5 2609 007

Andrius graduated from Vilnius University in 2005. In 2005-2011 he worked as a psychologist in long term drug-users’ rehabilitation. In professional activity Andrius was involved in drug abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention and dependency treatment. He took part in various prevention and educational projects as specialist (Early intervention of drug use among teenager offenders program by Global Initiative on Psy-chiatry, 2007) and trainer (Case management education and training course “Project HOPE: HIV/AIDS Education For Lithuania”, 2007-2008).

Responsibilities: Carrying out day-to-day project implementation, problem-solving, and coordination of activities in accordance with technical support program.

Tania Shapiro

Administrator
Email: office [eta] harm-reduction.org
Office: +370 5 269 1600

Responsibilities: administrative and logistic tasks in the office.

Rita Slanciauskiene

Accountant
Email: finance [eta] harm-reduction.org
Office: +370 5 269 1600

Responsibilities: overall accounting and finance.