Publications on People Who Inject Drugs (PWID)

Resource | Reviews and Snapshots,

The country HIV snapshots prepared by UNAIDS’ HIV and AIDS Data Hub for Asia Pacific provide comprehensive information on the HIV epidemic and response in Asia and the Pacific countries. Download the country snapshots to find out the most up-to-date HIV data and analysis.

 
 
Resource | Reviews and Snapshots,

Marked inequalities and diverse epidemic trends affect progress in the HIV response in Asia and the Pacific. The HIV epidemic in the region disproportionately affects people from key populations, especially young people (aged 15–24 years), and their sexual partners. Download the regional factsheet to find out the most up-to-date HIV info, data and analysis.

 
 
Resource | Publications,

Drug use continues to be high worldwide. In 2021, 1 in every 17 people aged 15–64 in the world had used a drug in the past 12 months. The estimated number of users grew from 240 million in 2011 to 296 million in 2021 (5.8 per cent of the global population aged 15–64). This is a 23 per cent increase, partly due to population growth. Cannabis continues to be the most used drug, with an estimated 219 million users (4.3 per cent of the global adult population) in 2021.

 
 
Resource | Publications,

This brief is meant to help applicants to the Global Fund plan for and scale up effective HIV and hepatitis C programming for people who use drugs, particularly those who inject. Applicants should consult the Global Fund HIV Information Note and Modular Framework Handbook, which detail the full range of biomedical, behavioral and structural interventions that the Global Fund supports as part of a comprehensive HIV response. This brief, drawing on review of past programming and guidance from UN partners, highlights specific lessons and recommendations for harm reduction programming.

 
 
Resource | Presentations,
Get an overview of the HIV/AIDS situation for People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) populations.
 
 
Resource | Publications,
This Guide for Advocacy is intended to be a user-friendly resource for people from all sectors who wish to understand the key objectives, principles and concepts relating to decriminalisation of drug use and how to advocate for it. Through three stages – Know it, Show it, Grow it – it outlines practical steps for developing strategies to advocate for decriminalisation, and offers tools that can be adapted and applied to plant the seeds for cultivating healthy, safe and inclusive communities.
 
 
Resource | Publications,
This briefing provides an overview of the key questions that drug decriminalisation advocates should consider to mobilise for and demand reform.
 
 
Resource | Publications,
This report is a compilation of data provided or published by countries in the region on their national situation relating to compulsory drug treatment and rehabilitation. It also serves as a mechanism for monitoring progress towards meeting commitments agreed by countries in 2015 in Manila to phase out compulsory treatment and rehabilitation and to scale up the implementation of voluntary community-based treatment and services.
 
 
Resource | Publications,
COVID-19, as well as government responses to the pandemic, are having unprecedented impacts on peoples’ lives, and are exacerbating vulnerabilities and inequalities. Since the early stages of the pandemic, many governments have resorted to securitised strategies centred around control and punishment, often leading to policies skewed towards repression and control, rather than health, transparency, and socio-economic support. Furthermore, the expansion of law enforcement powers has in several contexts resulted in increased criminalisation, surveillance, and targeting. As a result, populations already vulnerable and marginalised have experienced heightened policing, discrimination, and detrimental impacts on their rights and health. While the impacts of these policies on vulnerable communities such as women, migrant workers, and refugees are well-documented, less information is available on the repercussions on the rights and health of people who use drugs and their communities. This report presents and analyses the findings of research conducted with and among people who use drugs, service providers, and community paralegals in Indonesia and the Philippines, exploring how COVID-19 measures impacted on their livelihood, security, health, and human rights.
 
 
Resource | Fact Sheets,

In Hong Kong, the number of HIV cases transmitted through injecting drug use (IDU) has remained low up till now and contributed to less than 5% of all reported cases cumulatively. However, the potential risk of cluster outbreak and rapid upsurge of infection among the IDU population is always a concern. To monitor HIV-related risk behaviours and access to HIV testing services among IDU, this population has been included as one of the four at-risk populations in the HIV/AIDS Response Indicator Survey (HARiS) implemented since 2013.