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Reference Group to the United Nations on HIV and Injecting Drug Use
The Reference Group was established in early 2002 with the work of the Secretariat commencing in August 2002. The overall objective of the group is to advise UNODC, WHO, UNAIDS Secretariat and relevant UNAIDS co-sponsors, as well as other members of the Interagency Task Team on injecting drug use, on effective approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention and care among injecting drug users. The group has currently 23 members: international experts in the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS among injecting drug users or HIV/AIDS prevention and care among injecting drug users.
The Secretariat for the Reference Group is based at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), located at the University of New South Wales, Australia.
The work of the Reference Group is guided by a Steering Committee, which comprises two representatives each from UNODC (including Chair), WHO, UNAIDS Secretariat and the Reference Group Secretariat.
The Reference Group collects and analyses global data on HIV/AIDS among injecting drug users and coverage of prevention and care services for people who inject drugs.
The Reference Group releases reports summarising its findings. In addition, the Reference Group also prepares occasional thematic papers addressing different issues related to HIV/AIDS and injecting drug use.
24 SEPTEMBER 2008: Estimates on the prevalence of injectind drug use and HIV among people who inject drugs
Mathers, B. Degenhardt, L. Phillips, B. Wiessing, L. Hickman, M. Strathdee, S. Wodak, A. Panda, S. Tyndall, M. Toufik, A. Mattick, R. P.
and the Reference Group to the United Nations on HIV and injecting drug use
(The Lancet 2008, Volume 372)
PRESS RELEASE: UN Report shows increased spread of HIV through drug injection
VIENNA, 24 September 2008. Findings published today in The Lancet show that nearly 16 million people are estimated to inject drugs worldwide. Almost 40 % of injecting drug users were estimated to be living in China, the USA and Russia. In some low and middle income countries more than 40% of all injecting drug users are HIV positive.
The study, carried out by the Reference Group to the United Nations on HIV and Injecting Drug Use, is based on a review of 11,000 documents from published, government and non-government reports, as well as consultations with world experts in the field. The expert group provides independent technical advice to United Nations’ agencies addressing injecting drug use and HIV, including: the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UNAIDS Secretariat.
The report warns that the true extent of the problem is unknown: “existing data are far from adequate, in both quality and quantity, particularly in view of the increasing importance of injecting drug use as a mode of HIV transmission in many regions.” Countries at risk are not reporting on the problem, for example in Africa and the Middle East. In Asia, there has been little assessment of the impact of a growing methamphetamine epidemic on the spread of HIV. The Reference Group therefore called for increased technical capacity to monitor the issue.
“This report shows that both injecting drug use and HIV among injecting drug users has spread to almost every country of the world, but only a small minority of countries have implemented effective responses,” said Dr Paul De Lay, Director of UNAIDS’ Evidence, Monitoring and Policy department. “Given the speed with which HIV epidemics can spread among injecting drug users, and their sexual partners, countries must give this issue priority.
The authors also called for increased coverage of injecting drug use populations by HIV prevention activities such as needle and syringe programmes and opioid substitution treatment and to provide treatment and care for those who are living with HIV. "Creating an enabling environment for provision of effective HIV services still remains a serious challenge for stakeholders including governments and civil society organizations in many countries” said Christian Kroll, UNODC’s Global Coordinator for HIV/AIDS.
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Postal Address
NDARC
University of New South Wales
Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
Street Address
Randwick Campus
22 – 32 King Street
Randwick NSW 2031
T +61 (2) 9385 0333
F +61 (2) 9385 0222
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