Publications on People Who Inject Drugs (PWID)

In 2005, a rapid geographically specific mapping study was conducted in eight cities of Pakistan to estimate the size, location and operation typologies of four key sub-populations: FSWs, MSWs, HSWs, and IDUs.

The study was conducted in the Pokhara Valley. Three hundred male IDUs were sampled using the respondent-driven sampling (RDS) methodology.

With its focus on India, this briefing paper examines the impact of the punitive approach towards drugs in those societies and communities that have traditionally exerted socio-cultural controls over the use of mind-altering substances. The discussion highlights the unintentional but often harmful consequences of such drug control policies.

Opium has been cultivated in Afghanistan since 1100 A.D., although production has steadily increased since 1979. Currently, Afghanistan produces three-quarters of the global opium supply, with injection drug use and HIV currently following the opium trade route through Central Asia. Although systematic studies are lacking, heroin use appears to be on the rise in Afghanistan. The purpose of this paper is to briefly provide historical background and current statistics for drug production and use in Afghanistan, to discuss the new government's policies towards problem drug use and available rehabilitation programs, and to assess Afghan harm reduction needs with consideration of regional trends.

Female injecting drug users differ from their male counterparts in terms of their background, their reasons for using drugs, and their psychosocial needs. However, most HIV/AIDS prevention and care programmes are not reaching this vulnerable group because services are designed for men. Attempts to reach and work with female injecting drug users are limited and, in fact, gender sensitive services addressing the specific needs of female injecting drug users hardly exist in most countries.

This policy brief reviews the evidence to date on providing antiretroviral (ARV) therapy to HIV-positive injecting drug users. A number of related medical, psychological and social issues are also addressed including the need to manage drug interactions and the benefi t of harm reduction interventions in supporting optimum care for HIV-positive injecting drug users.

The body of this report provides a brief summary of the current illicit drug use situation, country responses to illicit drug issues, and Australian and international involvement in relation to illicit drugs for each country.

This report was prepared to support WHO efforts to introduce and scale up anti-retroviral therapy (ARV) according to the “WHO 3x5” initiative which is designed to provide three million people with ARV by the year 2005.

The objective of the BSS (Wave II) was to provide trends of behavioral indicators to inform program development for the expansion of interventions aimed at the reduction in the transmission of HIV/AIDS and STIs in the selected districts of Maharashtra.

Adolescent Substance Use: Risk and Protection responds to young people's call for action against substance use. This publication provides an insight into planning and delivering effective treatment and rehabilitation programmes for adolescent substance users – in the Greater Mekong Subregion and beyond.