Substitution therapy for drug users as part of NACP III

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

It's good news for those people who use drugs and finding a way to turn off from

chemical dependency.

National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) has announced in this month that the

sublingual buprenorphine tablet will make available at free of cost from next

month as a part of NACP III. NACO further stressed that the substitution

therapy program will be specifically focused in the North East India where the

prevalence of injecting drug use is

very high.

Currently drug substitution program has been undertaken by leading organization

like SASO, Care Foundation, MNP+, etc. in Manipur with support from DFID, UNODC

and EHA. But the program is most likely to wind up in the next three months.

Most of the people who inject drugs are getting benefits from this program since

they are being able to staying off from inject able drugs like heroin which is

abundantly found in Manipur. The good thing about this program is that it reduce

the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other blood borne diseases like HCV, STI, etc.

It is estimated that Manipur only have more than 50,000 drug users and most of

them are young people between the age group of 14-25.It can also help to manage

their life and live a productive life, at the same time transmission of HIV has

also reduce to some extent.

In SASO alone more than 300 IDUs are being enrolled in substitution program. But

the ironic is Manipur with a population of 50,000 drug users only few are

getting access to this programs.

A place like Manipur where social unrest and conflict occurred most of time, it

is very difficult for those people who used drugs to

come out and seek treatment because they are constantly facing threat from

external force and abuse in some way or other by various pressure groups

operating in Manipur.

It’s is a right time to sensitize the community about the substitution therapy

before NACO launch the program or else the benefits of this program will remain

a big ?

Ishwarchandra Haobam

Regional Focal Point- South Asia

Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS,

Project Coordinator,

Social Awareness Service Organization,(SASO) IDUs Project

Phone:91-0385-2411408

Fax: 91-0385-2411409

Mobile:91-9856136300

Email:ishwarchandra@.../ishwar.haobam@...

www.youthaidscoalition.org