Five years of needle syringe exchange in Manipur, India: programme and contextual issues

Received 1 December 2002; received in revised form 15 March 2003; accepted 8 July 2003.

Abstract

This paper reviews the performance of the syringe exchange programmes (SEPs) in Manipur, northeast India, with the objective of identifying good practice, and areas that require improvement. The paper also examines contextual and structural factors in Manipur that inhibit optimal functioning of SEPs and hinder behaviour change, and argues that these factors need to be addressed as part of any endeavour aimed at improving services and programme coverage in the future.

Keywords: HIV, Manipur, Needle syringe exchange programmes, Sharing of injecting equipment, Environmental factors

a London School of Economics and Political Science, London WC2A2AE, UK

b HIV/AIDS (SPARSHA), AE-35, Rabindra Polly, Kestopur, Kolkata-101, India

c Asian Harm Reduction Network, Chiang Mai, Thailand

d Khwai Lalumbung Makhong, RIMS Road, Imphal, Manipur, India

Corresponding author. Tel.: +44-208-5421-269.

PII: S0955-3959(03)00142-7

doi:10.1016/S0955-3959(03)00142-7

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