Project title

The main goal of the project is to implement HIV/AIDS prevention among IDUs in Visaginas.

Project objectives:

• To establish / adjust low threshold cabinet to implement HIV/AIDS prevention among IDUs;
• To maintain staff;
• To provide low threshold services;
• To promote the project and monitor the effectiveness of it.

During the project implementation period Lithuanian Red Cross Visaginas Committee premises (67,67 sq.m.) were renovated and adjusted to low-threshold programme implementation. The patients here were voluntarily tested, consulted, informed; they were provided support and HIV/AIDS commodities (sterile syringes and disinfectants). Through different channels information on prevention and care in Visaginas region was disseminated to injecting drug users, work done in cooperation with Visaginas Police Commissariat, other organizations. IDUs received information on availability of health care, social services and legal consultations.

Implementing the project the number of individuals receiving services had increased, new contacts were established and maintained with young girls (16-19 years), who are injecting drugs and had never been to health care institutions and had never participated in any harm reduction programmes. Additionally to consulting, the following data on target group members was gathered during the project: general information (date of birth, sex, etc.), socio-demographic data, data on psychoactive substance use and data on risky behaviour. This information helped to assess the drug use peculiarities, IDUs knowledge on HIV/AIDS, overdose and other issues, their risky behaviour, and accessibility to health care, social services and legal counselling, etc.

In order to reach the goal and objectives of the project, as well as to reach good results and to ensure the quality of the services provided, cabinet's personnel was additionally trained in 4 seminars.

During the 6 months period 120 clients visited the cabinet, where they received consultations and other support. They were also provided an opportunity to perform HIV tests. In total 14 visitors were offered rehabilitation services, and 6 of them were still continuing the treatment in rehabilitation centres at the end of the project. Consulting and information was also provided to the IDUs parents.

Main indicators:

1. Number of regular clients - 22;
2. Number of new clients during the last month - 20;
3. Number of distributed needles and syringes - 4476;
4. Number of distributed condoms - 1790;
5. Number of distributed disinfectants - 4630;
6. Number of provided consultations - 229;
7. Number of IDU's who received information on harm reduction, HIV/AIDS prevention and care - 150;
8. Number of performed HIV tests - 95;
9. Number of positive HIV tests - 8.

UNODC budget