People who use drugs
Key facts: WHO estimates that 13 million people around the world are using drugs. Of them, 1.7 million are living with HIV or AIDS. On average, one in ten new HIV infections is caused by the sharing of needles.
Key facts: WHO estimates that 13 million people around the world are using drugs. Of them, 1.7 million are living with HIV or AIDS. On average, one in ten new HIV infections is caused by the sharing of needles.
We work on breaking the cycle of stigmatisation, discrimination, poverty and lack of access to much-needed health services that traps people who use drugs. Even when health services are available, people who use drugs are often reluctant to utilise them, as they fear abuse and imprisonment. With harm reduction measures lacking, using and sharing unsterile needles is the primary means of HIV transmission in many regions of the world. Bridging the Gaps puts people who use drugs in the driver’s seat to find solutions to these challenges.