Global coverage of harm reduction programmes up, but remains low

Australasia is the only global region with high coverage of needle and syringe exchange programmes and opioid agonist treatment, and globally only nine countries (Australia, Mexico, Canada, the USA, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland) are implementing all five harm reduction services examined in a study recently published in the journal Lancet Global Health. In the systematic review, Dr Samantha Colledge-Frisby from Curtin University, Australia and her colleagues reviewed data from 177 studies and reports with relevant information on availability of needle and syringe exchange programmes (88 studies), opioid agonist treatment (72), take-home naloxone programmes (28), supervised consumption facilities (7), and drug checking services (15).

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