World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific

HIV/AIDS and STI

Evidence for Action Policy Brief: Provision of Sterile Injecting Equipment to Reduce HIV Transmission - WHO/HIV/2004.03                  (Also available in Chinese, Khmer, Lao, Malaysian, Mongolian, Russian and Vietnamese languages)

Background

The provision of access to sterile injection equipment for injecting drug users and the encouragement of its use are essential componentsof HIV/AIDS prevention programmes, and should be seen as a part of overall comprehensive strategies to reduce the demand for illicit drugs.  The equipment is provided through a great variety of approaches categorized as needle and syringe programmes, the goals of which are that drug users have their own sterile injecting equipment and do not share it with others, that the circulation time of used needles and syringes is reduced and that used equipment is disposed of safely.

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