Featured project: the HIV/AIDS Asia Regional Program (HAARP)

Of 4.5 million injecting drug users in Asia, 16% are HIV positive. Recognising unsafe injecting practices as a primary driver of the HIV epidemic in many Asian countries, AusAID set up the eight-year HIV/AIDS Asia Regional Program (HAARP) in 2007.

Needle and syringe exchange programmes form part of HAARP’s harm reduction approach to HIV among injecting drug users © HAARP

Building on the AusAID-funded Asia Regional HIV/AIDS Program (2002-2007), HAARP implements harm reduction strategies to reduce drug-related HIV harm in South East Asia and China. The key to this approach is an emphasis on reducing risk rather than preventing drug use.

The programme takes a two level approach: regional and country-based. HAARP country programmes are being implemented in Myanmar, China (Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces), Vietnam, Cambodia, and Lao.

Linking country activities together is the HLSP-managed Technical Support Unit (TSU) based in Bangkok, Thailand. A key focus for the TSU is to provide technical assistance and support to implementation of harm reduction programmes across the five HAARP countries. To date, HAARP is delivering harm reduction services in 41 sites reaching over 10,500 people who inject drugs and their sexual partners.

At a regional level, the TSU is responsible for generating, capturing and sharing experience, knowledge and data between the HAARP countries. The Bangkok team also play a role in helping AusAID to shape attitudes to harm reduction outside of the programme – specifically supporting AusAID to undertake country and provincial-level advocacy work.

For more information visit: www.haarp-online.org