Title:
A Critical Analysis of the Falling Age of Initiation among the Injecting Drug Users and the Programmatic Response in Manipur India
Authors:
Shimray, Kingson K.
Year:
2013
PAGE:
x, 49
Language:
En
Keywords:
Manipur, Harm Reduction, Adolescents Injecting Drug Users, HIV/AIDS, Heroin, India
Abstract:
Background: Manipur is one of the six high HIV prevalence states in India. It has a concentrated epidemic, and the main route of HIV transmission is through injecting drug. HIV prevalence among the injecting drug users (IDUs) is 12.89% in 2011 (HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2011). Objectives: To explore factors which make adolescents in Manipur prone to injection drug use and its complication in order to provide recommendation to the policy makers to reduce injecting drugs and it complication to adolescents. Method: Literature review using the modified conceptual framework adapted from Andersen and Newman to interrogate the literature and to organise my findings. Findings: The age of initiation of injecting drug use is decreasing in Manipur. Adolescent IDUs are more vulnerable than adult IDUs, as consequences of legal obligation and non-availability of Harm reduction (HR) services. It increases in sharing of needle and syringes, paraphernalia and unsafe sex which increase in HIV, HCV, STIs, overdoses, abscess and premature mortality. While HR for adult IDUs has proved to be effective in Manipur, it has in decrease in HIV prevalence among adult IDUs from 76% in 1997 to 12.8% in 2011. Conclusions: Acknowledging the decrease in age of initiation and vulnerability, the magnitudes of barrier to utilisation of HR services can facilitate early intervention of HIV prevention programs. Recommendations: The state Government should urgently revise and update the current HR policies to allow the inclusion of adolescents as beneficiaries, conduct size estimation for adolescents IDUs, and establish adolescent friendly centres, strengthened referral and linkages with other adolescents programme.
Organization:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute
,
VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Institute:
KIT (Royal Tropical Institute)
Department:
Development, Policy and Practice
Country:
India
Region:
Southern Asia
Training:
Master of Public Health / International Course in Health Development (MPH/ICHD)
Category:
Research
Right:
© 2013 Shimray
Document type:
Thesis/dissertation
File:
0A3NFYkPJE_20161103124158511.pdf