On average, one of every ten new HIV infections is caused by injecting drug use; in some areas, this percentage is much higher. However, injecting drug users (IDUs) often remain hidden and marginalized, and data on the prevalence of HIV infection, population size, sexual networks, and sexual risk behaviors are scarce in many countries. Meeting the prevention, treatment, and risk-reduction needs of this highly stigmatized and vulnerable population requires such data to inform targeted interventions.
Population Council focus
Council researchers have designed and implemented studies to understand the sexual networks and behaviors of IDUs to guide behavior change strategies. The Council also is supporting governments in Africa—where information on IDUs is almost nonexistent—to institute surveillance among this hard-to-reach population to measure HIV prevalence, population size, risk behaviors, and health needs.
Another clear need and interest of the Council is learning more about women and injecting drug use.
Population Council impact
- Results from a cross-sectional study to identify and characterize the IDU population in two cities in India were used by the Government of India to inform its national strategic plan for HIV.
- In Nigeria, the Council used crowd sourcing and interactive maps on mobile phones to document the size, risk behaviors, and geographic concentrations of female drug users. Findings informed recommendations for where local government and nongovernmental organizations should target their facilities and services to reach women.
Future directions
- In India, Council researchers seek to avert HIV infections among IDUs and their sexual and injecting partners in Delhi and increase the coverage and uptake of HIV prevention services—including counseling and testing—through an innovative, peer-driven strategy that recruits and enrolls IDUs into a comprehensive HIV prevention program.
- In Zambia, the Council is assessing different vulnerable populations, including injecting and non-injecting drug users, and conducting an integrated biological-behavioral survey that will provide the first measures of the size of these populations and their HIV risks and needs.
Projects
Documenting Avahan, the India AIDS Initiative (more)
The Population Council is synthesizing and analyzing the wealth of data collected by Avahan to gain insight that will guide future initiatives for HIV prevention in India and other countries with similar concentrated epidemics.
(1/2009 - 1/2014)
India
The AVHI Project: A Peer-driven Approach to Providing Injecting Drug Users with HIV Prevention Services in New Delhi, India (more)
Council researchers aim to avert HIV infections among injecting drugs users (IDUs) and their sexual and injecting partners in Delhi and increase the coverage and uptake of HIV prevention services, including counseling and testing, through an innovative, peer-driven strategy that recruits and enrolls IDUs into a comprehensive HIV prevention program.
(6/2010 - 2/2013)
India
Biological and Behavioral Surveillance of Most-at-risk Populations in Kenya (more)
In collaboration with the Kenyan government and partners, Council researchers are implementing the first HIV biological and behavioral surveillance surveys to facilitate, inform, and evaluate the impact of HIV preventive interventions for most-at-risk populations (men who have sex with men, sex workers, and injecting drug users).
(7/2010 - 2/2012)
Kenya
Formative Assessment and Mapping of Female Drug Users in Kano, Kaduna, Ogun, and Lagos, Nigeria (more)
Using social media and mobile technology, Council researchers are collecting data on female drug users in Nigeria to increase visibility of and services for this hidden yet highly vulnerable population.
(12/2010 - 5/2011)
Nigeria
Resources
A profile on HIV prevalence and risk behaviors among injecting drug users in Nigeria: Should we be alarmed? (abstract) (HTML)
Eluwa,George I.; Strathdee,Stephanie A.; Adebayo,Samson B.; Ahonsi,Babatunde; Adebajo,Sylvia
Drug and Alcohol Dependence 127(1-3): 65-71
Publication date: 2013
Documentation of HIV prevention research and programmatic learnings from India (PDF)
Selected peer-reviewed journal publications from the Knowledge Network Project, Volume 1
Publication date: 2013
Evidence for action: News from the Population Council in Nigeria (PDF)
Issue no. 3, May
Publication date: 2013
High uptake of HIV testing in a cohort of male injection drug users in Delhi, India: Prevalence and correlates of HIV infection (abstract) (HTML)
Sarna,Avina; Tun,Waimar; Sharma,Vartika; Sebastian,Mary Philip; Madan,Ira; Yadav,Amita; Sheehy,Meredith; Lewis,Dean; Thior,Ibou
AIDS and Behavior Published online ahead of print, 10 March
Publication date: 2013
Population-based prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus, HIV, syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia in male injection drug users in Lagos, Nigeria (abstract) (PDF)
Tun,Waimar; Vu,Lung; Adebajo,Sylvia; Abiodun,Lolade; Sheehy,Meredith; Karlyn,Andrew; Njab,Jean; Ahonsi,Babatunde; Issa,B.Kawu; Idogho,Omokhudu
International Journal of STD and AIDS Published online ahead of print, 19 July
Publication date: 2013
"Addressing HIV among the most at-risk populations," fact sheet (PDF)
Population Council
Publication date: 2012
"The Population Council's HIV and AIDS program," fact sheet (PDF)
Population Council
Publication date: 2012
An ethnographic study of injecting drug users and men who have sex with men in selected states in Nigeria (PDF)
Enhancing Nigeria's HIV/AIDS Response (ENR) Programme
Publication date: 2012
Assessment of unsafe injection practices and sexual behaviors among male injecting drug users in two urban cities of India using respondent driven sampling (abstract) (PDF)
Sarna,Avina; Tun,Waimar; Bhattacharya,Aruna; Lewis,Dean; Singh,Yummam Shashikumar; Apicella,Louis
The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health 43(3): 652-667
Publication date: 2012
Biological and behavioural surveillance for most at-risk populations in Kenya (PDF)
from Most-at-Risk Populations: Unveiling New Evidence for Accelerated Programming, pp. 1-5
Publication date: 2012
Changing epidemiology of HIV in Mumbai: An application of the Asian epidemic model (abstract) (PDF)
Mishra,Ram Manohar; Dube,Madhulika; Sahu,Damodar; Saggurti,Niranjan; Pandey,Arvind
Global Journal of Health Science 4(5): 100-112
Publication date: 2012
Evidence for action: Quarterly newsletter of the Population Council, Nigeria (PDF)
Issue no. 1, April
Publication date: 2012
HIV prevalence and risk behaviors among female injecting drug users in Nigeria: An emerging mega epidemic (PDF)
Poster presentation at the XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC, 23 July
Adebajo,Sylvia; Eluwa,George I.; Adebayo,Samson B.; Abiodun,Lolade; Ahonsi,Babatunde; Azeez,Aderemi
Publication date: 2012
Understanding the association between injecting and sexual risk behaviors of injecting drug users in Manipur and Nagaland, India (abstract) (HTML)
Suoho,Khrieketou; Humtsoe,Chumben; Saggurti,Niranjan; Sabarwal,Shrutika; Mahapatra,Bidhubhusan; Kermode,Michelle
Harm Reduction Journal 9: 40-
Publication date: 2012
Using capture-recapture methodology for enumerating most-at-risk populations (MARPs) (PDF)
Population Council
Publication date: 2012
HIV integrated biological and behavioural surveillance survey (IBBSS) 2010 (PDF)
Federal Ministry of Health
Publication date: 2011
Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men and injecting drug users and validation of audio computer-assisted self interview (ACASI) technique in Abuja, Lagos, and Ibadan, Nigeria: Report fact sheet (PDF)
Enhancing Nigeria's HIV/AIDS Response (ENR) Programme
Publication date: 2011
Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men and injecting drug users and validation of audio computer-assisted self interview (ACASI) technique in Abuja, Lagos, and Ibadan, Nigeria: Technical report (PDF)
Enhancing Nigeria's HIV/AIDS Response (ENR) Programme
Publication date: 2011
Exploring the links between drug use and sexual vulnerability among young female injecting drug users in Manipur (PDF)
Oinam,Archana
Health and Population Innovation Fellowship Programme Working Paper (no. 6)
Publication date: 2008
Assessment of sexual behaviours and sexual networks of injecting drug users in Delhi and Imphal, India
Sarna,Avina; Tun,Waimar; Bhattacharya,Aruna; Mahendra,Vaishali Sharma; Apicella,Louis; Selhore,Neville; Singh,Arjun
Publication date: 2007
Injecting drug users in India: Understanding sexual behaviours and sexual networks to design effective behaviour change strategies (PDF)
Sarna,Avina; Tun,Waimar; Bhattacharya,Aruna; Mahendra,Vaishali Sharma; Selhore,Neville; Singh,Arjun; Apicella,Louis
Update, (April)
Publication date: 2007
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