On average, one out of every ten new HIV infections is caused by injecting drug use; in some areas, this percentage is much higher. However, injecting drug users (IDUs) often remain hidden and marginalized, and data on their HIV prevalence, population size, sexual networks, and sexual risk behaviors are scarce in many countries. Meeting the prevention, treatment, and risk-reduction needs of this highly stigmatized and vulnerable population requires such data to inform targeted interventions.
Population Council focus
Council researchers have designed and implemented studies to understand the sexual networks and behaviors of IDUs to guide behavior change strategies. The Council also is supporting governments to institute surveillance among this hard-to-reach population to measure HIV prevalence, risk behaviors, and health needs and to enumerate IDU populations. The Council is conducting these surveillance and enumeration activities in African countries, where information on this population is almost nonexistent. Another clear need and interest of the Council is learning more about women and injecting drug use.
Population Council impact
- Results from a cross-sectional study to identify and characterize the IDU population in two cities in India were used by the Government of India to inform its national strategic plan for HIV.
Future directions
In Kenya and Nigeria, the Council is collaborating with the national HIV programs and other partners to implement behavioral and biological surveillance surveys of IDUs and other high-risk populations. These surveys will provide critical data on the prevalence of HIV and selected STIs, key characteristics of these populations that place them at risk, and ways they may be identified, reached, and served by various health programs. Study participants will also receive STI and reproductive health services.
Projects
Documenting Avahan, the India AIDS Initiative (more)
The Population Council is synthesizing and analyzing the wealth of data collected by Avahan to gain insight that will guide future initiatives for HIV prevention in India and other countries with similar concentrated epidemics.
(1/2009 - 1/2014)
India
The AVHI Project: A Peer-driven Approach to Providing Injecting Drug Users with HIV Prevention Services in New Delhi, India (more)
Council researchers aim to avert HIV infections among injecting drugs users (IDUs) and their sexual and injecting partners in Delhi and increase the coverage and uptake of HIV prevention services, including counseling and testing, through an innovative, peer-driven strategy that recruits and enrolls IDUs into a comprehensive HIV prevention program.
(6/2010 - 11/2012)
India
Biological and Behavioral Surveillance of Most-at-risk Populations in Kenya (more)
In collaboration with the Kenyan government and partners, Council researchers are implementing the first HIV biological and behavioral surveillance surveys to facilitate, inform, and evaluate the impact of HIV preventive interventions for most-at-risk populations (men who have sex with men, sex workers, and injecting drug users).
(7/2010 - 2/2012)
Kenya
Formative Assessment and Mapping of Female Drug Users in Kano, Kaduna, Ogun, and Lagos, Nigeria (more)
Using social media and mobile technology, Council researchers are collecting data on female drug users in Nigeria to increase visibility of and services for this hidden yet highly vulnerable population.
(12/2010 - 5/2011)
Nigeria
Resources
HIV integrated biological and behavioural surveillance survey (IBBSS) 2010 (PDF)
Federal Ministry of Health
Publication date: 2011
Exploring the links between drug use and sexual vulnerability among young female injecting drug users in Manipur (PDF)
Oinam,Archana
Health and Population Innovation Fellowship Programme Working Paper (no. 6)
Publication date: 2008
Assessment of sexual behaviours and sexual networks of injecting drug users in Delhi and Imphal, India
Sarna,Avina; Tun,Waimar; Bhattacharya,Aruna; Mahendra,Vaishali Sharma; Apicella,Louis; Selhore,Neville; Singh,Arjun
Publication date: 2007
Injecting drug users in India: Understanding sexual behaviours and sexual networks to design effective behaviour change strategies (PDF)
Sarna,Avina; Tun,Waimar; Bhattacharya,Aruna; Mahendra,Vaishali Sharma; Selhore,Neville; Singh,Arjun; Apicella,Louis
Update, (April)
Publication date: 2007
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