Urgent action is needed to scale up needle and syringe programs around the world to curb the spread of HIV and hepatitis C, an international group of experts warns.

In a new study published in The Lancet Global Health, the authors say the programs are effective but remain widely underfunded due to policy barriers rooted in stigma and discrimination.

People who inject drugs face a high risk of bloodborne infections, and needle and syringe programs reduce that risk by providing sterile injecting equipment. Yet access is limited worldwide, undermining efforts to reach global targets to eliminate HIV and hepatitis C by 2030.

The study identifies six major policy barriers to scaling up needle exchange programs and outlines 11 strategies to strengthen harm-reduction services. The authors contend that expanding access is a public health necessity and a human rights obligation.

Guillaume Fontaine, Assistant Professor at McGill University’s Ingram School of Nursing and a joint first author of the study, can elaborate on the call to action and discuss it in the context of Canada’s public-health policy landscape.

guil.fontaine [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)