Project title

To improve the health and life quality of the individuals having drug dependence, aiming to stop drug use and to decrease morbidity, mortality, crimes and spread of sexually transmitted infections among the drug users and in the society.

Project objectives:

1. To provide counselling services for the clients and their family members, to inform them about the provided health, social and legal services;
2. To exchange used needles and syringes to new, disseminate disinfectants for 80 injecting drug users, reducing the risk of infection transmission through needles and syringes.
3. To perform HIV tests for 50 drug users and their contact persons.
4. To expand the use of cabinet "Pasitikėjimas" services among risk group members, attracting 10 new clients.

Counselling and information, health education.

Clients who visit the cabinet are consulted on various questions: regarding the dependence treatment, safe psychoactive substance use, infections, wound care. Individual pre and post HIV test counselling is provided. If needed the clients are referred to other institutions, most often to medical settings, methadone programme, long-term rehabilitation centres. Information on drug overdose, safe sex, treatment possibilities (abstinence treatment, pharmacotherapy, psycho-social rehabilitation); social support, psychological help and support on legal issued is provided in cabinet "Pasitikėjimas". Clients are referred to social support providing institutions, Labour market or lodging house.

Needle and syringe exchange, distribution of disinfectants, condoms and wound dressings, collection of used needles and syringes, food provision.

Needle and syringe exchange is provided from 8 a.m. till 4.30 p.m. on work days. For the weekends and holidays injecting equipment, disinfectants, dressings, condoms are distributed before the day-off. Exchange principle - one syringe for one. There are no restrictions for quantity; new client receives 10 new syringes. Also clients receive different prevention commodities: spirit sponges, condoms, dressings, information materials. About 95% of all distributed syringes are collected. Aiming for client trust and aiming to avoid use of non sterile syringes, the syringes are borrowed. Secondary exchange also takes place, aiming to reach as much IDUs as possible. Clients who come to the cabinet are provided with food.

Rapid HIV tests.

Aiming for early HIV diagnosis rapid HIV tests are performed to IDUs, their family members and anyone upon request in cabinet "Pasitikėjimas". During the reporting period in total 108 rapid HIV tests were performed, 49 from them IDUs, 59 persons - approached voluntarily.

• Number of regular clients - 86.
• Number of new clients per last month - 14.
• Number of distributed syringes per month - 5484.
• Number of distributed syringes per person per month - 63,8.
• Number of performed HIV tests - 108.
• Number of positive HIV tests - 1.
• Number of outreach workers - 0.
• Number of persons in secondary exchange - 7.

UNODC budget