God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

UNAIDS strategy goal by 2015:

• All new HIV infections prevented among people who use drugs.

Globally, there are an estimated three million people who inject drugs also living with HIV—with nearly 13 million more at risk of HIV infection. Access to HIV prevention services, including harm-reduction programmes has increased but not at the required levels. In 2009 the median coverage of HIV prevention services was 32%.  It is estimated that on average globally fewer than two clean needles are provided per month per person who injects drugs, there are about eight people in opioid substitution treatment for every 100 people who inject drugs. According to WHO, UNODC and UNAIDS target-setting guidelines, the availability of fewer than 100 syringes per person who injects drugs per year is considered low. Few countries have data on HIV treatment coverage for people living with HIV who inject drugs, 14 countries treat 5% or fewer and in only nine countries does treatment reach more than 10% of people living with HIV who inject drugs. UNAIDS calls for scaling up comprehensive, evidence informed and human-rights-based programmes accessible to all people who inject drugs (i.e. attending to harm reduction alongside demand reduction), including programmes to reduce hepatitis co-infection, increasing access to HIV treatment, and ensuring legal and policy frameworks serve HIV prevention efforts.

more info: www.unaids.org