Today the Health Protection Agency (HPA) releases its annual report on rates of infectious and communicable diseases among injecting drug users called Shooting up. The HPA is a special health authority with responsibility for matters of public health.
Injecting drug users are at particularly high risk of a range of infectious and communicable diseases such as HIV, hepatitis C and wound botulism, increasing the rates of mortality and ill health among this group.
Key findings from the 2007 Shooting up report include:
- almost 75 per cent of injecting drug users have ever been homeless;
- those who have been homeless show higher levels of injecting risk and associated infections;
- injecting into the groin and the injection of crack cocaine, both associated with higher levels of infection and injecting risk, have both become more common;
- overall hepatitis C infection rates among injecting drug users has increased in recent years – almost half are now infected;
- the level of HIV infection in England and Wales among injecting drug users has increased since 2000 to one in 75;
- the number of injecting drug users receiving the hepatitis B vaccine has increased markedly with two-thirds now reporting vaccination.
To compile the report, the HPA collects data from laboratory and clinician reports. It also uses data on the prevalence of hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV from the Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programme Survey of HIV and Hepatitis in Injecting Drug Users. This is an ongoing multi-site survey that results from the collaborate efforts of over 50 specialist agencies that work with injecting drug users throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This survey collects prevalence information as well as data on risk and protective behaviours and healthcare utilisation.
The full report can be found at the HPA website (see link below).
For more information please contact Ruth Goldsmith in the DrugScope Press Office on 020 7940 7517 (07736 895563 out of hours) or at press@drugscope.org.uk
