Whats the best way to combat these blood-borne diseases?
A real combination approach is needed. Syringe exchange is really important, to give people access to sterile syringes so they won’t share. Then we need to make sure that the police don’t interfere with that. Drug treatment is an important component as well. Methadone maintenance and buprenorphine maintenance are very important, because the majority of injection drug users in this part of the world are addicted to heroin. As opiates, buprenorphine and methodone both block the opioid receptors, and so it’s very efficient. Every dollar spent on methadone maintenance saves seven dollars in future healthcare costs. In addition, you need HIV testing, counseling, referrals for primary care and antiretroviral therapy. If you treat people with HIV with anti-retrovirals, the amount of HIV in their bloodstream drops below a critical level and they are less infectious. There is good evidence that widespread access to anti-retrovirals lowers the risk of transmission in the population. It’s a multi
