Publications - Released in 2008
In 2007, IDUs comprised the largest share of total HIV cases in at least 20 nations in Asia and the former Soviet Union.
The percentage of cases attributed to injecting drug use is over 70 percent in some countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the region where HIV is growing fastest. In many of these countries, harm reduction has made important inroads—all countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union except Turkmenistan had needle exchange programs in 2007. In most, programs remain too small to contain the HIV epidemic. Reports that new HIV cases among drug users have stabilized often reflect trends in testing rather than the impact of prevention.
The challenge for many of the hardest-hit countries, however, lies in translating commitments into practice, without sacrificing protection of human rights.