People Who Inject Drugs in Mozambique: We need to normalize HIV treatment and care services in specialized community centers for people who inject drugs!

Abstract

Globally, People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) have limited healthcare, treatment, and prevention services, and they frequently experience stigma and negative attitudes toward healthcare providers when accessing services. Mozambique, with a general population HIV prevalence of 12.5%, has one of the highest rates in the world, and the PWID population has the highest HIV prevalence among key populations, estimated at nearly 50%. Less than half of HIV positives who inject drugs are linked to HIV treatment and are retained in care. One of the main reasons is that HIV treatment is mainly provided in a public health facility and PWID delayed accessing healthcare since they anticipated mistreatment from multiple levels of healthcare providers. To improve the health outcomes in this group, we need to treat them where they feel comfortable and respected. In this commentary, we outline the importance of innovative approaches to enhance the management of HIV-positive PWID. As a country gets close to controlling the HIV epidemic, refocusing and targeting responses to the highest-risk groups becomes even more essential for shaping more effective HIV interventions and achieving epidemic control.