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TuPA649 Innovative approaches to Harm Reduction : Shooting Galleries as NSP Site Partners with CARE Myanmar

Sarah Moore, Kyaw Hlaing, Tammy Hasselfeldt

CARE Myanmar

Issues : Injecting drug use in Myanmar is a significant route of HIV infection. It is estimated that up to 37.4 % of IDU are HIV positive. Introduction of needle syringe programs is challenged by the legal environment and injecting sociocultural factors.

Project : CARE Myanmar, with support from UNODC implemented a three year Harm Reduction Program which included a needle syringe program.

In some sites IDU tend not to self inject but instead use shooting galleries. Until the CARE Harm Reduction program began it was common for needles to be shared between users Results : CARE began advocacy to shooting gallery proprietors and distributed clean needles and syringes as part of its outreach work. Subsequently in collecting used injecting equipment it was clear that shooting gallery owners were supplementing CARE NSP supplies with new single use needles and syringes when supplies ran low. IDU reported that “a clean fit for every hit” is now the norm and that will go elsewhere if there is any risk of equipment being reused.

Lesson Learned: Partnership between shooting galleries and NSP programs offer innovative opportunities to promote harm reduction on site and reduce the risks of HIV and blood borne virus transmission to IDU.