HIV/AIDS in Central Asia and Azerbaijan: New report recommends extensive legislative reforms in 6 countries to address HIV in prisons and among injection drug users

Central Asia has experienced one of the world’s fastest growing HIV epidemics, with injection drug use a major driver. HIV in prisons is another area of major concern in the region. UNODC’s Regional Office for Central Asia and the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network have released an extensive new report aimed at strengthening efforts to achieve “universal access” to HIV prevention and treatment, with a particular focus on people who use drugs and people in prisons, in 6 countries: Azerbaijan, Ka¬zakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Completed with the participation of national expert groups, the report 'Accessibility of HIV prevention, treatment and care services for people who use drugs and incarcerated people in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan: Legislative and policy analysis and recommendations for reform (2010)' presents recommendations to governments for legislative and policy reform. The reforms aim to strengthen the national response to the HIV epidemic and, specifically, to improve accessibility of evidence-based HIV-related services for people who use drugs and incarcerated people. In addition, recommendations are also directed to UN and other international aid organizations for supporting countries in implementing such reforms.

The full report is available in English, and an executive summary of the report is available in Russian.