United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime - Regional Office for South Asia (UNODC ROSA) is supporting a regional project titled "
Prevention of transmission of HIV among Drug Users in SAARC Countries" (TD/RAS/03/H13) that is being implemented in partnership with the governments of the member countries of the SAARC region. Phase II of the project (2007-12) is being implemented jointly with The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
UNODC's OST Interventions in South AsiaThe UNAIDS Policy Position Paper (2005)
[1], states that prevention of transmission of HIV through injecting drug use "is possible by developing and initiating a
comprehensive, integrated and effective system of measures that consists of the full range of treatment options, (
notably drug substitution treatment) and the implementation of harm reduction measures (through, among others, peer outreach to injecting drug users, and sterile needle and syringe programmes), voluntary confidential HIV counselling and testing, prevention of sexual transmission of HIV among drug users (including condoms and prevention and treatment for sexually transmitted infections), access to primary healthcare, and access to antiretroviral therapy. Such an approach must be based on promoting, protecting and respecting the human rights of drug users."
The project in partnership with member governments and the mentor and partner agencies in the 7 SAARC countries, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is implementing the 'Comprehensive package' of services for drug users and their sex partners to prevent the transmission of HIV among drug users especially injecting drug users (IDUs) and their sex partners.
