Renewed calls for needle and syringe programs in Australian prisons ahead of International Drug Users Day

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Renewed calls for needle and syringe programs in Australian prisons ahead of International Drug Users Day

7 November 2020

By Mirage News

The Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) and Hepatitis Australia are highlighting international calls for Needle and Syringe Programs (NSPs) in prisons, along with a greater focus on harm reduction initiatives, ahead of International Drug Users Day on 1 November. The release of the Global State of Harm Reduction 2020 [i]report reinforces calls in Australia’s current National Blood Borne Viruses (BBV) and Sexually Transmissible Infections (STI) Strategies [ii]for the implementation of NSPs in custodial settings.

“This is the first time the Global State of Harm Reduction report has included a chapter on hepatitis C. This is crucial because globally an estimated 48.5% of all people who inject drugs are living with hepatitis C and more than half of the 585,000 drug-related deaths in 2017 were due to hepatitis C. Australia is reversing the trend of hepatitis C for people who inject drugs, incredibly the proportion of those living with chronic infection has declined from 51% in 2015 to 18% in 2019. The leadership from people who inject drugs is fundamental to this achievement. Australia’s hepatitis C success in this cohort is attributable to a range of factors including community education, unrestricted access to direct-acting antiviral cures, evidence-based harm reduction strategies including community needle and syringe programs, and a coordinated approach guided by national strategies delivered in partnership with affected communities, peak bodies, clinicians, researchers and governments,” explained Carrie Fowlie, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hepatitis Australia.

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