East Africa

  1. HIV and AIDS prevention and care for injecting drug users outside and in prison settings in East Africa
  2. Prevention of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS among drug users, injecting drug users and vulnerable populations in Kenya

HIV  and AIDS prevention and care for injecting drug users outside and in prison settings in East Africa

The overall aim of this project is to provide advocacy and technical support to countries in the region to adopt human rights-based, evidence-informed AIDS policies and programmes for these specific populations

Background

East Africa has the second-highest HIV prevalence in the world and the most serious heroin use in Africa. Injecting drug use has been reported in eight countries in the region and is contributing to the burden of the HIV epidemic in at least four of them. Prisons host a disproportionate number of drug users and prisoners are more likely to become infected with HIV than the general population.

Objectives

1. To generate strategic information to understand the drivers of the HIV epidemic as it relates to injecting drug users and prisoners.

2. To provide technical assistance to countries to develop evidence-informed AIDS strategies and road maps.

3. To advocate and support the most at-risk populations, especially injecting drug users and prisoners.

4. To support the strengthening and scaling up of prevention programmes to reach universal access.

 

A comprehensive package for injecting drug users

  • Needle and syringe programmes
  • Opiate substitution therapy and other drug dependence treatment
  • HIV testing and counselling
  • Antiretroviral therapy
  • Prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections
  • Condoms for injecting drug users and their partners
  • Targeted information, education and communication
  • Prevention and treatment of hepatitis C
  • Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis

Mauritius is the only country in the region implementing the comprehensive package. The package is being implemented partially in Kenya, the Seychelles and the United Republic of Tanzania, among others.

Partnerships

Our strategic allies are Governments, national AIDS control commissions, national drug control commissions, ministries of health, prison services, civil society organizations, the African Union, the East African Community, the Indian Ocean Commission, the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Department for International Development of the United Kingdome, the Swedish Government and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

Funding arrangements

Donors: Sweden, United Kingdom, SIDA and UNAIDS