The International journal on drug policy
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Int. J. Drug Policy · Apr 2008
Coverage to curb the emerging HIV epidemic among injecting drug users in Pakistan: delivering prevention services where most needed.
HIV Surveillance data from IDUs is suggestive of an escalating epidemic in major cities of Pakistan. The relatively widespread presence and interlinking of IDU and high-risk sexual networks, combined with low levels of HIV knowledge and prevention methods, indicate that there is potential for a rapid spread of HIV to other high-risk groups and its further expansion to general population through bridging groups. ⋯ Despite an existing nationwide harm reduction programme, increasing rates of HIV infection among IDUs underscore the need to identify gaps in the existing prevention strategy. Data available on coverage shows that effective harm reduction activities are unable to reach a substantial number of IDUs to actually avert or delay the emerging IDUs epidemic. There is an urgent need to expand coverage, and to integrate harm reduction in the mainstream of public health.
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Int. J. Drug Policy · Apr 2008
Access to syringes in three Russian cities: implications for syringe distribution and coverage.
We report findings from a multi-method study investigating drug injectors' access to needles and syringes in three large Russian cities (Moscow, Volgograd, Barnaul). ⋯ HIV prevention coverage indicators need to include measures of pharmacy-based syringe distribution and not only measures of syringe exchange coverage. There is an urgent need to pilot pharmacy-based distribution and exchange projects in Russia as well as other forms of secondary syringe distribution. Alongside expanding the reach of dedicated syringe exchange projects, pharmacy-based syringe distribution, and exchange, may help improve coverage of cost effective HIV prevention measures targeting drug injectors.