World AIDS Day 2008-"Young people, Drug Use and HIV/AIDS"

Among the estimated 16 million people injecting drugs worldwide, one in five are likely to be HIV positive. Sharing contaminated needles and syringes is one of the quickest and easiest ways of getting and transmitting HIV. In 2007, there were 2.7 million new HIV infections - about 7,400 each day - and 2 million HIV-related deaths. Young people aged 15 to 24 account for an estimated 45 per cent of new HIV infections worldwide. Many young people still lack accurate information about how to avoid exposure to the virus.

South East and Southeast Asia

Transmission of HIV is often via injecting drug use, and the sharing of syringes is a common practice among injecting drug users in the South East Asia region.Many countries have very high rates of HIV infection among injecting drug users: China 41 per cent, Indonesia over 40 per cent, Myanmar 43 per cent, Thailand over 30 per cent, and Viet Nam 34 per cent. In China, an overlap between unsafe injecting drug use, unprotected commercial sex and other risk factors is fuelling the spread of HIV.In India, recent surveys suggest rising HIV transmissions among young injecting drug users.In Pakistan, the number of injecting drug users has nearly doubled since 2000, and studies show that HIV prevalence among this population is rising rapidly.

World AIDS Day in India

The UNAIDS family in India is planning a series of events on the occassion, including support to the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), Government of India, to organize a Youth Parliament at Delhi. The bulk of the resources will be financed by NACO. This is in line with the principle "One UN". Approximately 1000 youth delegates selected for their leadership potential from various parts of India are expected to participate in this parliament. A similar successful Youth parliament had been organized by the Government of India and the UN family in 2005. This event will bring the youth delegates to Delhi for a period of six days. The delegates will be trained and sensitized to HIV and AIDS for a period of five days. The event will end with a mock Youth Parliament session on the last day.

The youth parliament fits well with the theme of UNODC "Young people, Drug Use and HIV/AIDS".

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Jyoti Mehra
Advisor, HIV/AIDS
Regional Office for South Asia
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
EP16/17 Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi, India
Ph: 0091-11-42225015
Fax: 0091-11-24104962