AIDS 2016: Access to substitution therapy for drug-users still lacking in SA
An HIV Prevention Specialist believes that the criminalisation of drug-users limits the effectiveness of the HIV response.
Dr. Andrew Scheibe has been discussing the link between alcohol and drug use and sexual risk behaviour in South Africa at the AIDS 2016 conference in Durban.
Scheibe says South Africa has a range of policies that cover drug use but there is little on specific recommendations for evidence-based interventions for HIV.
He says a 2013 report based on household survey data estimated that between 67 000 and 75 000 people inject drugs in South Africa.
The week-long conference concludes today.