Drug abuse: 'Injections fueling HIV infections'

Feb 20, 2015

The use of injections among drug abusers is spreading HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, a new research reveals.

By Carol Natukunda
 
The use of injections among drug abusers is spreading HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, a new research reveals

It notes that there is blood transfer, through the sharing of drug taking equipment, particularly unsterilised needles, carries a high risk of HIV transmission, with about  five and ten percent of new HIV infections resulting from sharing used needles.

The report on the emerging patterns of injecting drug use in sub-Saharan countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Zanzibar and Kenya notes that people who inject drugs into their bodies are sharing the syringes. 

The most common injected drugs in Uganda include heroin and cocaine, according to the report.

Titled, "The Global State of Harm Reduction 2014," the report stresses the need says that governments will require a further scaling up therapy such as methadone and buprenorphine medicines and needle syringe safety programmes in order to effectively respond to the growing HIV/ AIDS epidemic.

The 2014 report, produced by UK based NGO Harm Reduction International (HRI), says that prevalence of HIV among people who inject drugs in Tanzania is an estimated 33.9 per cent, 16.7 per cent in Uganda and 9.1 per cent in Senegal.

"Moreover, because of the geographical location of countries such as Tanzania and Zanzibar along key transit points for the trafficking of heroin, cocaine and other drugs, there is increased availability of these drugs in this part of the region.

 "Further HIV infections in sub -Saharan Africa driven by drug use are as concerning as they are avoidable," said Rick Lines, Executive Director of Harm Reduction International.

 "It is reassuring then, to see the pioneering efforts of both Tanzania (methadone and clean needle exchange services) and Kenya (methadone), implementing programmes on the ground reducing harm but it is, at the same time, critically important that these interventions are scaled up and adopted across the region where similar patterns of drug use may be emerging."

New injecting drug practices in sub-Saharan Africa
 
The report points out that although services are generally lacking, the initiation
of research in the region will be vital in providing a basis for policy responses in the future. It also calls for the need to document of high-risk injecting practices.

Uganda's health experts called for the need for parliament to pass the anti-tobacco and narcotics bill which is before parliament.

"People are abusing drugs because they are everywhere.

 Elsewhere in the world, injecting drugs for purposes not prescribed by a doctor is illegal. We need a legislation that makes drug abuse completely illegal," says Dr. Sheila Ndyanabangyi, the principal medical officer at the health ministry.

Drug user access to anti-retroviral therapy

 In 2012 there were an estimated 6,991,492 adults receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa, representing 60 per cent of those living with HIV. However, the data on numbers of people who inject drugs receiving ART within this region remain limited.

In 2008, the Reference Group to the United Nations on HIV and Injecting Drug Use reported that just 38 people who inject drugs in Kenya and 138 people who inject drugs in Mauritius were receiving ART.

These estimates represented less than one per cent of HIV-positive people who inject drugs in Kenya and 1.1 per cent of people who inject drugs in Mauritius receiving ART.

Related

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