The IFRC’s Out of harm’s way campaign for World AIDS Day, 1 December 2010 ─that can be used for years to come, is to advocate on behalf of injecting drug users living with or at risk of HIV and AIDS. The IFRC challenges policymakers, governments and donors to move beyond their own prejudices to work with stakeholders, international organisations, civil society and those living with HIV to provide prevention, treatment, care and support to injecting drug users and their families. Limiting access to HIV prevention and treatment programmes, and imprisoning drug users is an abuse of human rights and a threat to public health.
Out of the 15.9 million people living in 148 countries who regularly inject drugs, 3 million of them live with HIV. Only 4% of injecting drug users living with HIV are on HIV treatment. (see the map)
The report
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Out of harm's way
In this last edition for 2010, the IFRC Health Advocacy Report depicts the stark reality of what it means to be an injecting drug user and living with HIV. It examines the prevention, treatment, care and support needs of this most at-risk population and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) response to their plight. Read more |
Web stories
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Between World AIDS Day and the International Volunteer Day: more volunteers to do more, do better and reach further
On 1 December, 2010, like every year, thousands of Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers throughout Europe gathered in streets, shopping centres, cinemas, schools, bar and clubs to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, fight stigma, and promote safer behaviour in their communities. Read more |
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China case study: harm reduction
The province of Yunnan lies huddled in the south-west border area in China, curved up against Vietnam, Laos and Burma, and linked to Thailand and Cambodia via the Mekong River (otherwise known as Lancang River in China). Owing to its location near “The Golden Triangle”, Yunnan’s population is ‘drowning’ in heroin and other illicit drugs. Read more |
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Belarus case study: harm reduction
Nikolay and Irina spend all their money on ‘semechki’, a homemade poppy-seed paste, the drug of choice in the drab town of Slutsk (pop. 70,000, levelled in the Second World War), two hours’ drive south of the Belarusian capital, Minsk. Their families have long since kicked them out. They work, they live, they use. Read more |
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Italian web story: harm reduction
“I started to take drugs quite young, when I was about 14 or 15 years old. They were light drugs like cannabis and alcohol, but over the years I started to take heavy drugs like heroin. Read more |
Opinion piece
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World Aids Day 2010 - Do no harm
Someone, somewhere, right now is in a basement room with a needle and a spoon, trying to take away the pain. In fact, if everyone who is injecting drugs was gathered in one place right now – an estimated 16 million people – it would amount to four times the population of Madrid. Read more |
Videos