16 Jul People who use drugs talk about HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
The community of people who use drugs called for an urgent shift from prohibitive policies to public health and humane approaches towards people who use drugs in Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the International AIDS Forum held on 9-10 July, 2012 inKyiv,Ukraine.
Addressing participants through a video message, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé stated, “UNAIDS stands firmly with you to call for the lifting of restrictions on harm reduction and for evidence informed, life-saving interventions to be introduced on an urgent basis.”
Entitled ‘Ensuring That Our Voice Is Heard’, the forum brought together representatives from communities of people who use drugs, civil society, academia and the United Nations to discuss the existing challenges in addressing issues related to drug use and HIV.
They also agreed upon and formulated the messages that will be conveyed to their national governments as well as the international community at the forthcoming XIX International AIDS Conference to be held on 22–27 July 2012 inWashingtonD.C.,USA.
The estimated number of adults and children living with HIV in Eastern Europe andCentral Asiahas tripled since 2001 reaching 1.5 million in 2009. Injecting drug use remains the primary cause of HIV transmission in the region.
An estimated 3.7 million people currently inject drugs and roughly one in four of them are believed to be living with HIV in the region.