By Bibek Bhatta
Syringe sharing rate among intravenous drug users (IDUs) is over 70 percent largely because 1 ml tidigesic or 1 ml syringe is not available. 20,000 out of 50,000 drug users in Nepal are IDUs and more than 50,000 drug users are in Kathmandu valley.
The need assessment survey – 16/17 March 2000 conducted by Youth Power Nepal (YPN) also shows the large demand for needle and syringe exchange by IDUs. Thus YPN demands the effective and easily accessed harm reduction methods to prevent IDUs from HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B. YPN voice for the fundamental rights of the IDUs to live without HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B and their ‘choice of treatment’ and ‘care of health.’
Many experts suggested that appropriate treatment programme should be organised to prevent drug users’ death at an inauguration ceremony of “Harm Reduction Advocacy Workshop on Drug Addiction and HIV/AIDS” organised by YPN. The workshop was organised for 105 local representatives from the valley.
The spokesman of supreme court, Kashi Raj Dahal stressed that the Drug Act and Narcotic Drug Act should be incorporated to bring positive results. Michael Hahn, country programme advisor of UNAIDS said that the local and global commitments and joint forces can check the growing trend of drug abuse.
Present figure of HIV – prevalence rate in Nepal is estimated around 33,500 of which about 10,050 are IDUs. Half of the HIV-prevalence IDUs are below 29 years old and the age group 20-29 is the most affected in both drugs and HIV AIDS. Drugs injection is the pre dominant mode of HIV transmission through sharing contaminated needles and syringes.
According to YPN press release 30,000 non IDUs and 20,000 IDUs spend NRS 3,25,80,00,000 and NRS 1,30,32,00,000 on drugs respectively per year. Peer pressure, curiosity, frustration, uncertainty of job prospects and parents’ carelessness are the major factors which drive the youth – mostly male towards the drugs abuse which leads them to AIDS.
On the occasion it was also mentioned that the Ministry of Home Affairs has a strategy to decrease the demand of narcotic drugs through treatment and rehabilitation. Speakers at the programme urged the implementing bodies to be more responsible to solve the problem.