The rate of HIV infection among injecting drug users appears to be rising, researchers say.

25/09/2008 by admin.

I just read this alarming article on BBC News 24

The report, published in the British medical journal The Lancet, says 3m self-injecting drug users worldwide could now be HIV-positive.

In nine countries, more than 40% of drug users were infected.

Countries where over 40% of injecting drug users are thought to be HIV positive:

Estonia: 72.1%

Argentina: 49.7%

Brazil: 48.0%

Kenya: 42.9%

Burma: 42.6%

Indonesia: 42.5%

Thailand: 42.5%

Ukraine: 41.8%

Nepal: 41.4% 

But some countries have maintained very low rates of infection, such as the UK - where the rate is 2.3% - New Zealand and Australia where only 1.5% of injecting drug users are HIV-positive.

Researchers say that this was due to the swift introduction of needle exchange programmes in the 1980s.

Read the full article here

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