Palani Narayanan is an international harm reduction expert with 26 years’ experience in drug use, harm reduction and drug policy. He was the co-founder of the first Malaysian Harm Reduction Program for sex workers and drug users, the IKHLAS Center and the founding Chairperson of The Asian Harm Reduction Network (1997-2000). Palani has been responsible for the development of national harm reduction programs in Indonesia (as the first Harm Reduction Adviser for AUSAID- funded HIV bilateral project) and in Malaysia as the National Consultant on the Pilot Needle Exchange Program. He has provided technical expertise in Africa, Central Asia, South and South East Asia on drug use, drug policy, prison programs, oral substitution therapies, and evaluations. He was the Technical and Strategic Planning Advisor for AusAID’s multi country program (2010-2013). He joined the Global Fund as the Senior Advisor on Drug Use and Community Responses in 2018.