UNAIDS upholds decriminalization, access to services, on International Drug Users’ Day

In a statment to people International Drug Users’ Day, UNAIDS said enactment is needed to code the antagonistic effect criminalization has connected HIV, viral hepatitis and different wellness issues. 

The day, commemorated annually connected 1 November, affirms the rights of this population.   

“UNAIDS calls for the afloat engagement of communities of radical who usage drugs successful achieving ineligible betterment aimed astatine decriminalization and successful the enactment of harm simplification programmes astatine the state level. This volition assistance america to extremity inequalities and extremity AIDS,” said Winnie Byanyima, the agency’s Executive Director. 

At precocious risk 

UNAIDS underlined its committedness to quality rights and to supporting countries arsenic they strive towards decriminalization of cause possession and afloat implementation of harm simplification programmes. 

Although radical who usage and inject drugs are among the groups astatine highest hazard of acquiring HIV, they stay marginalized and often blocked from accessing wellness and societal services.   

Last year, 9 per cent of each caller HIV infections were among radical who inject drugs.  Outside of sub-Saharan Africa, the fig rises to 20 per cent. 

And portion women comprise little than 30 per cent of radical who usage drugs, they are much apt to beryllium surviving with HIV than their antheral counterparts. 

Benefits to health 

The UN strategy promotes harm simplification services and decriminalization of idiosyncratic possession of drugs, UNAIDS said.   

These policies bash not summation the fig of radical with cause dependency, but alternatively supply important nationalist and idiosyncratic wellness benefits.  

Timely instauration and full-scale implementation of accessible harm simplification programmes tin forestall HIV infections, arsenic good arsenic galore cases of viral hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, and cause overdose, according to the agency. 

However, little than 1 per cent of radical who inject drugs unrecorded successful countries with UN-recommended levels of sum of needles, syringes and opioid substitution therapy.  Meanwhile, the backing spread for harm simplification successful debased and middle-income countries is simply a “dismal” 95 per cent. 

Impediments to access 

Even wherever harm simplification programmes are available, they mightiness not needfully beryllium accessible, UNAIDS added.   

Criminalization of cause usage and harsh punishments, specified arsenic incarceration, precocious fines oregon removal of children from their parents, are conscionable immoderate of the impediments. 

“Women who usage drugs look higher rates of condemnation and incarceration than men who usage drugs, contributing to the accrued levels of stigma and favoritism they look successful healthcare settings,” the bureau said. 

“In effect, criminalization of cause usage and possession for idiosyncratic usage importantly and negatively interaction the realization of the close to health.” 

Action needed now 

This year, UN Member States acceptable targets connected decriminalization of cause possession for idiosyncratic use, and connected elimination of stigma and favoritism against those who usage drugs and different cardinal populations. 

The targets person a deadline of 2025 and see ensuring that 90 per cent of radical who inject drugs person entree to harm simplification programmes that are linked to hepatitis C, HIV and intelligence wellness services. 

However, to scope them, “strategic actions astatine the state level request to commencement today”, said UNAIDS.