Less than 10 percent of injecting drug users covered by existing HIV prevention interventions
Globally, fewer than 1 in 10 injecting drug users (IDUs) are covered by effective HIV prevention interventions, with just 5% of injections likely covered by a syringe provided from a needle and syringe programme (NSP). Only eight clients receive opioid substitution therapy (OST) for every 100 IDUs, while only 4 of every 100 HIV-positive IDUs receive antiretroviral therapy (ART). While all these interventions can have a stand-alone effect, they must be used together to substantially reduce HIV transmission among IDUs. This is a key message of a new paper in The Lancet Series on HIV in People Who Use Drugs, written by Professor Louisa Degenhardt, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, and colleagues. The paper also shows the need for policy, legal and other structural changes as a core element of HIV prevention for IDUs.