ID: 1473

Type of submission: Oral

Conference track: Practice

Topics: Harm Reduction for Non-Injectors and/or Stimulant Users; Innovative Harm Reduction Programmes

Presenting author: Ignatius Praptoraharjo

Presenting author biography:

Ignatius Praptoraharjo, Ph.D is a Senior Researcher at the AIDS Research Center, Atma Jaya Catholic University. He has worked in areas of HIV Policy and Programming for injecting drug users, male to female transgender, migrant workers and female sex workers since 1993

Operational Research on Providing Harm Reduction Service for Chrystal Meth Users in Jakarta Indonesia

Ignatius Praptoraharjo, Laura Nevendorff, Gracia Simanullang, Theresia Arum, Sahrul Syah, Andhy Andhy, Mieky Abdullah, M. Syafaat, Djaenal Arifin, Dani Damanik, Hatun Eksen, Machteld Busz

Background
Previous assessment showed that crystal-meth users might contribute to increasing HIV prevalence rates in Indonesia due to heightened sexual risk behaviors. Related risks can be reduced if people have access to health services. Unfortunately, there is no available specific intervention related to HIV prevention targeting meth users in Indonesia. The study aims to assess acceptability and feasibility of the harm reduction intervention to meth users in Jakarta.
Setting
The intervention is modified from outreach strategy currently used by harm reduction program for PWID. The intervention is focused on gaining access to meth user communities and refering the users into existing HIV related services in Jakarta. Karisma Foundation implements the intervention. Locations of the study are two sub-districts in Jakarta.
Result
During two months of the implementation, 96 meth users are succesfully reached by outreach workers. Their age is range from 16 to 47 years old. their background are injecting drug users who shift from heroin to crystal meth, men who have sex with men and female sex workers. The users perceive that the program is important as a source of information related to drug related problems including legal barriers for accessing health services. Limited number access HIV services due to their fear to be identified as meth users. Karisma is still working with the service providers and local institutions in the study locations for minimizing barriers for meth users to access the service.
Conclusion
Harm reduction intervention for meth users is feasible and acceptable to be implemented in the study locations. Ministry of Health is keen to support the scaling up the intervention in the upcoming years. However, advocacy effort at local and provincial level still needs to be undertaken to enable the users to make maximal use of existing HIV services.