The Asian Harm Reduction Network: Supporting Responses to HIV and Injecting Drug Use in Asia

Those working in the field of prevention of drug use and HIV/AIDS are very well aware that no simple interventions can solve the problem in a short period of time. Drug users are a highly vulnerable group; in many countries, the legal and political environment makes them hard to reach for preventive interventions. Many of them are very poor, a factor that contributes to their vulnerability. Health and social services often are not equipped to address their needs. Drug users’ rights are frequently violated, and in several communities drug users are used as scapegoats for many social evils. Risk-reduction measures are successful if we encourage legal and political environments in which we can deliver interventions, if we provide the necessary health and rehabilitation facilities, if we address poverty, and if we work on the tremendous negative image that many people attribute to drug users. Over the past few years, UNAIDS, particularly the Asia-Pacific Intercountry Team, and the Asian Harm Reduction Network have
focused on reducing drug users’ vulnerability.