New research shows needle & syringe program saving lives and money

The results of research into the cost effectiveness of Needle and Syringe programs in Australia released today shows clearly that the program is extremely effective in saving lives and money, the national peak body for Australia’s HIV response has claimed.

The report, “Return on Investment 2: Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of needle and syringe programs in Australia,” found that free distribution of needles and syringes amongst high risk communities had prevented over 32,000 new cases of HIV infections and 100,000 Hep C infections since 2000.

The report also showed how every dollar spent on the needle and syringe program saved Australia’s various health budgets four times as much, by preventing infections that can be spread through the sharing of needles.

Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) Executive Director Don Baxter said the new research was a ringing endorsement of ongoing government funding for health prevention initiatives.

“This report shows that injecting drug users do utilise the various needle and syringe programs where they can access them and that empowering communities via effective health prevention programs reaps huge dividends.”

“Lives have been saved as a result of this program, chronic infections avoided and billions of dollars in health budgets can be spent on other things, as a result of the massive numbers of infections avoided.”

“This report demonstrates why needle and syringe programs must remain a key resource in our fight against HIV. Indeed, we believe that this research provides a compelling argument for the expansion of existing needle and syringe programs to reduce stubbornly high rates of hepatitis infections.”

The authors of the report extrapolate from their research to argue that a 50% increase in distribution of injecting equipment could lead to a further 37% decrease in HIV infection over the next 10 years.