This project is developing indicators for more reliable and comparable monitoring of hepatitis B/C and HIV among injecting drug users. This is necessary for identifying priorities for preventing further infections, for forecasting health-care needs and costs, and for monitoring the impact of preventive interventions. In addition, the data can be useful for indirect estimates of the incidence, prevalence and trends in drug injecting.
The levels of hepatitis B and C infection are extremely high in most Member States, while prevalence and trends in HIV infection appear to differ markedly. Improving this preliminary and still very broad picture is not easy. Routine sources for monitoring purposes, such as infectious-disease notifications, have broad coverage but are of poor quality. High-quality sources such as studies, on the other hand, lack national coverage and are difficult to continue over time. The EMCDDA has developed draft guidelines for the national focal points to collect the data, based on two complementary approaches:
Hepatitis B/C and HIV infection are among the most serious health consequences of problematic forms of drug use such as injecting. Estimating the impact and costs of infectious diseases in IDUs will enable: