New rapid assessment highlights urgent gaps in access to safe injecting equipment, HIV prevention, and stigma-free care among people who inject drugs.
A new rapid assessment reveals that unsafe injecting practices, driven by an absence of harm reduction services such as needle/syringe programmes, are putting people who inject drugs in Fiji at increased risk of HIV transmission. The findings come as the Pacific island-nation continues to face one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the world.
Commissioned by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Division of Pacific Technical Support and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the assessment was carried out on the request of Fiji’s Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) by the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales, Fiji National University and the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL). The study, funded by The Global Fund, provides an in-depth assessment of drug use, risk behaviours, health-seeking behaviours, and gaps in service delivery, to strengthen Fiji’s public health response.
Read the full joint press release here.
Access the rapid assessment report here.
Source : World Health Organization
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