Health Poverty Action is helping reduce drug use and the spread of HIV among vulnerable people including drug users and sex workers across the Myanmar/China border.
The problem is serious because of large numbers of mobile people travelling across the border. The project offers:
- a needle exchange programme with basic healthcare
- counselling
- referrals for drug detoxification services
- health education for sex workers
- condom distribution at casinos
- HIV/AIDS counselling and testing
The project benefits injecting drug users, commercial sex workers and other migrant workers and has helped reduce the stigma and discrimination they face. It has won both community and government recognition.
Drug users and people living with HIV have set up self-help groups and take part in activities that generate some income for themselves, laying foundations for them to reintegrate back into society.
More than 3,500 community people participated in the recent ‘World Drugs Day’ campaign where information about drugs, HIV/AIDS and drug control was presented through drama and other entertaining activities.
Activities carried out by people living with HIV to generate income for themselves include growing vegetables for pig farming.
Health Poverty Action outreach team met Zau Ja, an injecting drug user who was ill and homeless, and informed him about the project. Zau Ja has registered for drug detoxification and has since stopped injecting himself with drugs. He has also gone on to carry out further study.
Last modified: 09/12/2011
