Burundi: Drug users say they need medical prescription rather than being arrested

“I have been detained twice in four years- for consuming drugs”, says Daniel Sakiri, 54, a heroin drug user for 25 years. Sakiri says he becomes weak when he lacks drugs to inject. “We have no strength to work and have a bellyache which afterwards causes diarrhea. Then, we do not have any other choice than taking drugs”, he says. Sakiri also says he doesn’t know what to do to give up drugs. “Detaining us is not a good option to help us, but we really need treatment through medical prescription”, he says.

Mrs. Akimana, 20, another drug user for over two years, faces the same challenge. “It is not easy to have access to the serum for injection. Then, one serum is shared among five or six drug users with a risk of being contaminated with HIV/ AIDS or other infectious diseases”, she says. Akimana also says a drug box is very expensive. “A small quantity usable once costs BIF 5000 and we are compelled to steal or have sex for money”, she says.

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