NEEDLE SCHEMES STOP THOUSANDS OF HIV CASES

Australia's pioneering syringe exchange programs have prevented 25,000 new
HIV infections and 21,000 hepatitis C infections in just 10 years,
according to the Return on Investment in Needle Exchange and Syringe
Programs Report released today at the HIV Medicine conference in Sydney. By
2010, it is projected that needle exchange will have prevented 4,500
AIDS-related deaths throughout Australia, saving an estimated $2.4 billion
(US $1.3 billion) in public health funding.

The research, commissioned by the Commonwealth, analyzed 778 years of data
from 103 cities worldwide, comparing HIV and hepatitis C infection among
injecting drug users in countries with and without needle and syringe
programs (NSPs). These data were then used to calculate the return on
investment from NSPs in Australia from 1991 to 2000, providing potent,
measurable evidence of the benefits of one of Australia's most
controversial public health policies. The report's findings include:

* Cities with NSPs had an average annual 18.6 percent decrease in HIV
prevalence compared with an average annual 8.1 percent increase in cities
that did not introduce NSPs.

* In Australia, between 1991 - when they were running in all states except
Tasmania - and 2000, NSPs have cost federal and state governments $130
million (US $71.8 million).

* From this 10-year investment, public health savings of $2.4 billion (US
$1.3 billion) were estimated in long-term HIV and hepatitis C treatment
costs alone (allowing for conventional government discounting of 5
percent). The savings were estimated at $7.7 billion (US $4.2 billion)
without discounting.

* By 2010, NSPs will have prevented 90 deaths from hepatitis C. For HIV,
this was calculated on the 25,000 avoided cases, an average lifespan of 24
years after infection, and treatment cost of nearly $14,000 (US $7,700) for
each year of life after diagnosis. Annual HIV treatment costs for the cases
avoided are projected to reach a peak of $269 million (US $148.6 million)
by 2008 as patients reach later stages of the disease. Annual treatment
costs for hepatitis C cases avoided are projected to reach $18.8 million
(US $10.4 million) by 2040 and decline thereafter. The costs are high
despite the relatively low numbers because of the potential for progression
to liver failure and the high costs of treatment.