MENAHRA communication guide on harm reduction

Injecting drug use is a global health and social issue from which various health and social harms often arise. These harms include health problems, such as HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis and fatal overdose, as well as social and legal problems, and others. In recent years, an increase in drug use has been reported in many countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The number of People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) from the 20 countries covered by the Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction Association (MENAHRA) is estimated to be around 570,000 (MENAHRA, 2014).

In many countries of the MENA region, unprotected sex and unsafe injecting drug use are the primary drivers of the HIV epidemic. However, the response has not been appropriate to the size of the problem (MENAHRA, 2014).

An estimated 90,000 people who inject drugs are living with HIV/AIDS within the region, which represents an HIV prevalence of over 15 percent in this population. There is also sufficient evidence showing that injecting drug use contributes significantly to the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) epidemic in this region (MENAHRA, 2014).

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