First Asian consultation on drug use and HIV prevention
29 February 2008
According to the UN, nearly half of the world’s estimated 13 million injecting drug users live in Asia where injecting drug use is a major factor fuelling HIV transmission.
“Response beyond Borders”, the first Asian consultation on drug use and the prevention of HIV, held in India in January 2008, was organised by the Asian Consortium on Drug Use, HIV/AIDS and Poverty to address the political, legal and social barriers to HIV interventions for injecting drug users.
Consortium members, including the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in India, parliamentarians, civil society and drug user organisations gathered from 27 countries to advocate for approaches that have proven effective in stemming the spread of HIV.
These approaches include expanded harm reduction programmes that promote drug substitution treatment, access to needle and syringe exchanges, and peer education.
Parliamentarians from various countries discussed the promotion of political will for HIV, the prevention of drug use and treatment. They issued a ‘Statement of Commitment’ acknowledging the roles parliamentarians can play in the development of policies and legislation that support HIV prevention through decriminalising drug use and providing care and treatment facilities.
The ‘Goa Declaration’ from the Network of Positive People announced a pledge to challenge existing oppressive drug laws, policies and programmes, and work with government and their constituents to formulate evidence-based drug policies that respect human rights and the dignity of people who use drugs.
A representative from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime highlighted successful models of community-based HIV prevention, conducted through outreach and counselling, and emphasized the need to scale up interventions. Alarm was raised over the spread of HIV in prisons.
Most of the world’s supply of opium and heroine comes from Asia (mainly Afghanistan and Myanmar) where injecting drug users form a significant population engaged in high risk behaviour such as unprotected sex and sharing contaminated needles that can lead to HIV infection.
Following the success of the consultation, the Consortium agreed to hold three further regional consultations in Central Asia, South Asia, and South East Asia in addition to a joint Asian Consultation meeting in 2009.
For more information contact: Sonal Mehta, Director Policy and Communications or Sunil Nanda, Director of Programme Development at Alliance India.
