UN reference group on IDU and HIV recommends end to imprisonment of people for personal drug use

[Guest guest]

UN reference group on IDU and HIV recommends end to imprisonment of people for

personal drug use

On Day 2 of Commision on Narcotic Drugs, (CND), at Vienna, Austria, the

Reference Group to the UN of HIV and Injecting Drug Use held a side session to

review its most recent research and consensus recommendations.

According to the Reference Group,

- Injecting drug use has been reported in 151 countries

- In 89 countries there is no solid evidence of the extent of injecting

- There are approximately 15.9 million people who inject drugs globally

- Approximately 3 million people who inject drugs are living with HIV

- Needle and Syringe Programmes are available in 82 countries and absent in 69

countries

- Opioid Substitution Therapy is available in 71 countries and absent in 80

countries

The Reference Group identified 4 interventions with the strongest evidence of of

effectiveness in HIV prevention among injecting drug users.

- Opioid Substitution Therapy

- Needle and Syringe Programmes

- Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV+ people who inject drugs

- Sexual risk reduction programmes among people who inject drugs

The Reference Group noted that coverage of interventions is typically low in all

regions of the world

The Reference Group also identified 2 interventions that have NOT been

demonstrated to have have a positive impact

- Compulsory detention of people who use drugs

- Detox in the absence of any other interventions

Consensus Recommendations of the UN Reference Group

1. Scale up the 4 interventions identified in combination

2. Better data on the size of the problem is needed to develop an effective

response

3. Effectively treating drug dependence reduces crime

4. Safe disposal of syringes reduces risk of HIV transmission in the

community

6. HIV among prisoners is a serious issue that has not been addressed in most

countries

7. National laws should allow distribution of injecting equipment

8. Drug users should be referred to health services

9. Ensure health care information must remain confidential

10. Effective HIV prevention, treatment and care should be provided in prion

settings

11. An end to imprisonment of people for personal drug use and possession for

personal use

12. End of compulsory drug detention

--

Dr. Atul Ambekar, M.D.

Assistant Professor

National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre and Department of Psychiatry

All India Institute of Medical Sciences,

Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India - 110029

Phone (O): 91-11-26593236

Phone ®: 91-11-26105757

Mobile: (+91) 9811155682

Fax: 91-11-26588641, 91-11-26588663

Email: atul.ambekar@...

Website:

http://www.aiims.edu/aiims/departments/spcenter/nddtc/nddc_intro.htm

http://www.cndblog.org/2010/03/cnd-day-2-side-event-of-un-reference.html