Current scenario of HIV/AIDS Interventions in Chennai

Current scenario of HIV/AIDS Interventions in Chennai

Injecting drug users in Chennai deprived of their
Services except for HIV/AIDS

Stigma and discrimination faced by drug users or people who use drugs in Chennai is multidimensional

History of IVDU : The Junkies union was founded in Chennai on 2007 May 1st by the drug users as community based drug users group and changed its name to IVDU : INNER VOICE OF DRUG USERS as many member

This is how ivdu started :

Anti retro viral drugs causing harm for the injection drug users in chennai. A large percent of drug users have drug resistant virus strains because of non adherence to ART (Anti Retro-viral Therapy). now the problem is when the Drug users infect others, the fresh infection would be drug resistant. the newly infected will not respond to the ARV .This is noted untill recently among the Injection drug using community in chennai.

An Indian court in Salem (south India) on Thursday sentenced three persons each to 48 years of imprisonment for smuggling heroin. The court also awarded 36 and 24 years of imprisonment respectively to other two. According to the prosecution, Narcotics Intelligence Bureau personnel arrested Narendra Kumar Sharma, a Truck driver and Abdul Salam Rashid, a Sri Lankan, when the former handed over 8.5 kg of heroin to the Islander in Kurubarapalli in Krishnagiri-Hosur Highways in January 2004. The personnel also arrested three, including two Sri Lankans, Mohammed Nizam, Mohammed Riyal, and Shah Nawas of Rajasthan.

An out reach worker carrying syringe and needles was arrested in north chennai for carrying needles and syringes. Although the outreach staff pleaded to the police personnel that he is just doing his job as an out reach worker. The police did not understand what he was doing and was surprised that the government was allowing the NON PROFITS to distribute Needles and Syringes. It took 5 hours to get the outreach worker from the police station. What is surprising is although its been a long time after finding that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is spreading through Infected needles in india. How did the police did not know that there are services going on for the drug users. One drug user confessed that he was just using drugs. However the local Drug enforcement agency accused him of selling drugs and convicted him for years. Will this change just by doing advocacy. I think instead of reforming people who are using drugs , they can reform the drug laws. which can in turn reform him.  >

VOICE OF DRUG USER,