2002-2006 Reference group
The following publications were produced by the former Reference Group;
Aceijas, C., Friedman, S.R., Cooper, H.L., Wiessing, L., Stimson, G.V., & Hickman, M. (2006). Estimates of injecting drug users at the national and local level in developing and transitional countries, and gender and age distribution.[erratum appears in Sex Transm Infect. 2006 Aug;82(4):344] Sexually Transmitted Infections 82, iii10-17.
Abstract:
Objective: To present and update available national and subnational estimates of injecting drug users (IDUs) in developing/transitional countries, and provide indicative estimates of gender and age distribution.
Methods: Literature review of both grey and published literature including updates from previously reported estimates on estimates of IDU population and data sources giving age and gender breakdowns. The scope area was developing/transitional countries and the reference period was 1998-2005.
Results: Estimates of IDU numbers were available in 105 countries and 243 subnational areas. The largest IDU populations were reported from Brazil, China, India, and Russia (0.8 m, 1.9 m, 1.1 m, and 1.6 m respectively). Subnational areas with the largest IDU populations (35,000-79,000) are: Warsaw (Poland); Barnadul, Irtkustk, Nizhny-Novgorod, Penza, Voronez, St Petersburg, and Volgograd (Russia); New Delhi and Mumbai (India); Jakarta (Indonesia), and Bangkok (Thailand). By region, Eastern Europe and Central Asia have the largest IDU prevalence (median 0.65%) (min 0.3%; max 2.2%; Q1 0.39%; Q3 1.32%) [corrected] followed by Asia and Pacific: 0.24% (min 0.004%; max 1.47%; Q1 0.14%; Q3 1.47%) [corrected] In the Middle East and Africa the median value equals 0.2% (min 0.0003%; max 0.35%; Q1 0.11%; Q3 0.23%) [corrected] and in Latin America and the Caribbean: 0.12% (min 0.11%; max 0.69%; Q1 0.04%; Q3 0.13%) [corrected] Subnational areas with the highest IDU prevalence among adults (8-14.9%) were Shymkent (Kazakhstan), Balti (Moldova), Astrakhan, Barnadul, Irtkustk, Khabarovsk, Kaliningrad, Naberezhnyje Chelny, Penza, Togliatti, Volgograd, Voronez, and Yaroslavl (Russia), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Ashgabad (Turkmenistan), Ivano-Frankivsk and Pavlograd (Ukraine) and Imphal, Manipur (India). 66% (297/447) of the IDU estimates were reported without technical information. Data on the IDU age/gender distributions are also scarce or unavailable for many countries. In 11 Eastern European and Central Asian countries the age group <or=20-29 represented >50% of the total. The proportion of IDU men was 70%-90% in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and there was a marked absence of data on women outside this region.
Conclusion: Unfortunately data on IDU prevalence available to national and international policymakers is of an unknown and probably yet to be tested quality. This study provide baseline figures but steps need to be taken now to improve the reporting and assessment of these critical data. [References: 42]
http://sti.bmj.com/
Aceijas, C., Oppenheimer, E., Stimson, G.V., Ashcroft, R.E., Matic, S., & Hickman, M. (2006). Antiretroviral treatment for injecting drug users in developing and transitional countries 1 year before the end of the "Treating 3 million by 2005. Making it happen. The WHO strategy" ("3 by 5").
Addiction 101, 1246-1253.
Abstract:
Objective: To describe and estimate the availability of antiretroviral treatment (ART) to injecting drug users (IDUs) in developing and transitional countries. METHODS: Literature review of grey and published literature and key informants' communications on the estimated number of current/former injecting drug users (IDUs) receiving ART and the proportion of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attributed to injecting drug use (IDU), the number of people in ART and in need of ART, the number of people living with HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (PLWHA) and the main source of ART.
Results: Data on former/current IDUs on ART were available from 50 countries (in 19 countries: nil IDUs in treatment) suggesting that approximately 34 000 IDUs were receiving ART by the end of 2004, of whom 30 000 were in Brazil. In these 50 countries IDUs represent approximately 15% of the people in ART. In Eastern European and Central Asia IDU are associated with > 80% of HIV cases but only approximately 2000 (14%) of the people in ART. In South and South-East Asia there were approximately 1700 former/current IDUs receiving ART ( approximately 1.8% of the people in ART), whereas the proportion of HIV cases associated to IDU is > 20% in five countries (and regionally ranges from 4% to 75%).
Discussion: There is evidence that the coverage of ART among current/former IDUs is proportionally substantially less than other exposure categories. Ongoing monitoring of ART by exposure and population subgroups is critical to ensuring that scale-up is equitable, and that the distribution of ART is, at the very least, transparent. [References: 34]
www.blackwell-science.com/add
Aceijas, C., Stimson, G.V., Hickman, M., Rhodes, T., United Nations Reference Group on HIV AIDS Prevention and Care among IDU in Developing and Transitional Countries, (2004). Global overview of injecting drug use and HIV infection among injecting drug users.
AIDS 18, 2295-2303.
Abstract:
Objective: To provide global estimates of the prevalence of injecting drug use (IDU) and HIV prevalence among IDU, in particular to provide estimates for developing and transitional countries.
Methods: Collation and review of existing estimates of IDU prevalence and HIV prevalence from published and unpublished documents for the period 1998-2003. The strength of evidence for the information was assessed based on the source and type of study.
Results: Estimates of IDU prevalence were available for 130 countries. The number of IDU worldwide was estimated as approximately 13.2 million. Over ten million (78%) live in developing and transitional countries (Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 3.1 million; South and South-east Asia, 3.3 million; East-Asia and Pacific, 2.3 million). Estimates of HIV prevalence were available for 78 countries. HIV prevalence among IDU of over 20% was reported for at least one site in 25 countries and territories: Belarus, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia and Montenegro, Spain, Libya, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Viet Nam, China, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, USA and Canada.
Conclusion: These findings update previous assessments of the number of countries with IDU and HIV-infected IDU, and the previous quantitative global estimates of the prevalence of IDU. However, gaps remain in the information and the strength of the evidence often was weak.
http://www.aidsonline.com/
Dolan, K., Kite, B., Black, E., Aceijas, C., Stimson, G.V., Reference Group on HIV AIDS Prevention and Care among Injecting Drug Users in Developing and Transitional Countries (2007). HIV in prison in low-income and middle-income countries.
The Lancet Infectious Diseases 7, 32-41.
Abstract:
High prevalence of HIV infection and the over-representation of injecting drug users (IDUs) in prisons combined with HIV risk behaviour create a crucial public-health issue for correctional institutions and, at a broader level, the communities in which they are situated. However, data relevant to this problem are limited and difficult to access. We reviewed imprisonment, HIV prevalence, and the proportion of prisoners who are IDUs in 152 low-income and middle-income countries. Information on imprisonment was obtained for 142 countries. Imprisonment rates ranged from 23 per 100,000 population in Burkina Faso to 532 per 100,000 in Belarus and Russia. Information on HIV prevalence in prisons was found for 75 countries. Prevalence was greater than 10% in prisons in 20 countries. Eight countries reported prevalence of IDUs in prison of greater than 10%. HIV prevalence among IDU prisoners was reported in eight countries and was greater than 10% in seven of those. Evidence of HIV transmission in prison was found for seven low-income and middle-income countries. HIV is a serious problem for many countries, especially where injection drug use occurs. Because of the paucity of data available, the contribution of HIV within prison settings is difficult to determine in many low-income and middle-income countries. Systematic collection of data to inform HIV prevention strategies in prison is urgently needed. The introduction and evaluation of HIV prevention strategies in prisons are warranted.
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/homepage.cws_home