HIV - NDLEA SEEKS ATTENTION FOR INJECTING DRUG USE

Worried by the growing trend of Injecting Drug Use (IDU) in the country,
the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has called on the Federal
government and other stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS to pay
critical attention to the devastating and the closely linked relationship
between Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS.

Chairman Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
(NDLEA), Alhaji Bello Lafiaji who made the call in Lagos while declaring
open a workshop for relevant NGOs on Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS organized in
collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Regional Office for West and Central Afric in Dakar, noted that despite the
awareness being created concerning HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, not much is known
about the relationship between drug abuse and HIV/AIDS.

His words, "Scientific and empirical evidences have shown that substance
abuse contributes to the spread of HIV/AIDS by enhancing risky sexual
behavior such as seeking gratification without due protection, and sharing
of unsterilized needles by injecting drug users."

Lafiaji who was represented by the Secretary, Mr. Dave Ashang added that
substance abuse also leads to loss of inhibition which adversely creates a
tendency to engage in risky sexual behavior.

The workshop was put together to equip NGOs with adequate knowledge on the
relationship between substance and HIV/AIDS and their roles in preventing
these menace stated that scientifically proven relationship between drug
abuse and HIV/AIDS has become a very serious threat to the nation.

In his welcome address, UNODC Representative, Mr. Paul Salay said drug
abuse and HIV/AIDS are two devastating and closely - linked human
conditions that deserve a critical attention by national governments, NGOs,
the private and development sectors, and society as a whole.

Speaking, Salay warned that in recognizing the importance of injecting drug
use in spreading the disease and other blood borne infections, people
should not lose sight of non-IDU modes of transmission. He charged
participants to factor strongly into HIV/AIDS policy-making, research,
intervention and behaviour-change advocacy the impacts on human behaviour
and ultimately on fueling transmission of the virus.