Prevention and control of HIV/AIDS among injection drug users in Pakistan: a great challenge.

According to the national survey on drug abuse in 1993 there were about three million drug users in the country representing 2.3% of the total population of Pakistan. With estimated annual growth rate of 6.4% total number of drug abusers in the country in 2004 could be estimated to almost five million. The 1993 study also estimated that 51% drug abusers were taking this narcotic product the most common drug abused in the country and 93% heroin abusers were believed to take heroin either by filling in cigarettes or by inhalation. At that time only 1.8% heroin addicts (mainly in Karachi) administered heroin in the form of injections. However according to the results of National Assessment Study on Drug Abuse Situation in Pakistan conducted in year 2000 it was estimated that about 60000 drug addicts were using drugs through injections. Studies conducted in 2002 with drug addicts at two different localities of Karachi suggest 80-100% addicts are using heroin via injections. There is an increasing shift from inhalation to injection drug use (IDU) among addicts. (excerpt)