Theme: Epidemiology & Public Health Research Year: 2024
Background: In our country the number of people who inject drugs increases rapidly daily. The first needle & syringe service in S.A was established in Cape Town in 2012 and it focused on men who have sex with men. In 2015 the service transitioned to a different service provider and was accessible to a wider range of PWIDs. In the same year, needle & syringe services were established in Durban and Pretoria but these are only three cities that PWUDs/PWIDs can have access to life hanging services in the whole country.
Body: The streets are lethal, most of our society remains uneducated regarding drugs and drug use and that is when they are at their most lethal state because stigma & discrimination against our PWID community is at its worst. Our community of PWID/PWUD are mostly street based, their daily prime target is survival, how and where to score the next fix and get something to eat, they are uneducated on matters that affect their lives. It is extremely difficult engaging with PWUD/PWIDs regarding their health due to the stigma and discrimination they face while trying to access these vital services. PWIDs/PWUDs are turned away by health care providers due to their physical appearance but with no family support, no place to call home and no idea where their next meal will come from, the least of their worries will be physical appearance and since when has that ever b to deny someone health-care s,,¹? PWID/PWUD are treated in the most inhumane manner possible and all because sociey thinks they have the right to judge people for the choices they make.in their lives. PWUD/PWID want to be consulted on matters that affect their lives and it is in these engagements that they can be educated on viruses such as hepatitis because today in most of our townships in South Africa, only a few members of our community have heard the word hepatitis but do not know or understand what it is and even less community members know and understand what it is. Most times we have a shortage of clean needles and syringes and what do you think happens then?
It has gotten so bad to a point where, sometimes at hotspots you might find one individual who has five needles and syringes in his possessions and leases them to whoever is willing to pay but not much thought is given to the more important issue at hand and the rate of infection that is always growing.
CONCLUSION
We need to educate the PWID/PWUD community and the general public on topics that influence the life of a drug user.