End abuse of injecting drug users, step up treatment: IAS urges in global report

timeslive.co.za: "“Seek, test, treat and retain” are the main points of today’s report, which advocates a new approach to treating injecting drug users (IDUs).

"'Offering Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST), such as methadone or buprenorphine, significantly decreases HIV acquisition and transmission and increases the chances of HIV positive people who inject drugs taking up and staying on highly active anti retroviral therapy (HAART),' said Professor Dr Charles O’Brien.

"A researcher from the University of Pennsylvania and co-author, he says: 'This in turn can lead to reductions in the community viral load and decrease new infections.'

The authors call for expanded access to highly-active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) among 'high-risk, hard-to-reach drug using populations'."

Note: Press release.