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Around one third of global HIV infections outside sub-Saharan Africa result from injecting drug use. As a New York Times article highlighted this week (6th May), injecting drug use can have a debilitating effect on both individuals and whole societies.
HIV infection is one of the negative consequences of injecting drug use that can be alleviated by harm reduction services, such as needle exchange and opioid substitution therapy. However, despite its effectiveness, harm reduction remains far from universal. Moreover, stigma and social marginalisation of drug users may render harm reduction services less of a priority for some countries, even more so, in light of the current global financial crisis.
Follow the links to read about the case for harm reduction and an insight into why people inject drugs.
