HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support for Women who Use Drugs and for Women Prisoners

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Iran

The project focused on the provision of a comprehensive package for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services for women who use drugs, for spouses of men who inject drugs and for female prisoners in the beneficiary countries. The project is successfully completed. The project achievements are: In Afghanistan, covered 3 communities and 4 prison settings in 4 provinces of Afghanistan - Kabul, Herat, Balkh and Nangrahar. More than 850 women who use drugs and spouses were screened for HIV, 860 for HBV and HCV, and 870 for syphilis and 47 for TB. Close to 3,000 sessions on primary health care and 83 sessions of wound care were conducted with the registered clients in the project areas. Prison Based Services conducted over 6,500 sessions for over 800 women on primary health care. Around 330 women were screened and 470 women received HBV vaccination. Around 53,000 counselling and awareness sessions were organized for the women prisoners. In Nepal, supported 5 centres, in partnership with 30 member organisations, to test over 1,100 women who inject drugs in 22 districts across the country and 330 of them identified positive. Also, 350 female prisoners in two prisons in Kathmandu and Pokhara provided a series of orientation and sensitization programmes on "Gender Responsive Harm Reduction Services". A total of 42 prisoners have been trained and mobilised as peer educators. In Pakistan, covered almost 670 women who use drugs, 190 of their spouses and about 300 women prisoners. Training on "Gender Responsive Harm Reduction Services" was organised for about 30 medical doctors, psychologists, and counsellors from the related NGOs.