Why Overdose Matters for HIV

Date:
July 2010
Source:
Open Society Foundations
Author:
Matt Curtis and Nabarun Dasgupta

For most drug users and people who work with them, overdose is an urgent issue. Many AIDS, harm reduction, and other drug service organizations have created programs to educate people who use drugs about overdose prevention and response techniques; to distribute naloxone—a safe and highly effective opioid overdose antidote that is included in the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicines; and to document the extent of overdose and the success of responses. But funding has been limited.

Recently, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria issued guidance that they will support these kinds of over- dose prevention activities. Other AIDS funders are beginning to follow this lead, and service providers should ensure that overdose services are available to their drug-using clients directly or through local referral networks.

This document presents arguments that organizations can make to AIDS funders to show that overdose prevention and response matter for HIV programming.

Need help downloading a file or playing a clip? Click here.

Why Overdose Matters for HIV (Mandarin)
PDF Document - 804K
Download the document in Mandarin.

Why Overdose Matters for HIV (Russian)
PDF Document - 214K
Download the document in Russian.

Why Overdose Matters for HIV (English)
PDF Document - 262K
Download the document in English.

back to the top of the page
Related Information

In Times of Austerity, a Threat to Portugal’s Drug Policies
Alexandra Kirby-Lepesh
February 10, 2012
blog BLOG  
Fiscal austerity measures could threaten the future of Portugal's exemplary harm reduction services. But short-term cost-saving measures could prove costly further down the line.

Congress's Holiday Message to People Who Use Drugs: Drop Dead
Zoe Hudson
December 16, 2011
blog BLOG  
Congress has reinstated a ban on federal funding for syringe exchange programs, despite the fact that these programs dramatically reduce HIV infections. In the midst of the fiscal crisis, states will have no choice but to cut lifesaving measures.

Preventing Drug Overdose Is Key in Fight Against AIDS
Roxanne Saucier
December 12, 2011
blog BLOG  
For many people living with HIV, the risk of overdose presents a more imminent threat than AIDS-related illness. Despite this fact, donors and governments are slow to adopt overdose prevention measures as part of their AIDS programs. It's time for a wake-up call.

About  |  Initiatives  |  Grants, Scholarships & Fellowships  |  Resource Center  |  Newsroom  |  Site Map  |  Legal  |  Contact


Creative Commons License
Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative License.
©2012 Open Society Foundations. Some rights reserved.