1. ADUG
Afghan Drug User Group
Supported By Médecins du Monde, MENHARA, and ITPC

2. Summary
• Afghan context
– Production of Opium
– Domestic drug use
– Impacts (HIV/HCV)
– Abuses, harassement and stigmatization
– Limited access to treatment
• Comunity development as an effective Harm Reduction
strategy
– ADUG statement
– ADUG activities

3. In 2009, 90% of the world’s opium production
In 2011 the opium production increased 61% compared
to 2010 (UNODC, 2011 afghan opium survey)

4. Domestic drug use
– Estimated 1 million drug users
– Exponential heroin use
– Exponential Injectors

5. Afghanistan has a concentrated HIV/AIDS and HCV
epidemic among people who inject heroin

6. Abuses and Harassement
1st of April 2012. Some neighbors
attack a group of PuD in Kabul.
Outreach workers are witnessing the
scene.
9th of November 2011.
A police officer shot one PuD in
the leg.
Here is the link of reportage made by CBS during 2011, giving a good overview
of the situation of PuD in Kabul:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57379807/misery-among-heroin-addicts-in-afghanistan/

7. Police and afghan society harass
and beat everyday people who
use drugs

8. Stigmatization and Discrimination of
people who use drugs
• People who use drugs have no access to
health care.
They are rejected from hospitals because:
– Hospital staff-members are afraid of HIV, HVC or HVB
– PuD have no family or no relatives to accompany them
– Hospitals do not know how to deal with craving of active drug users

9. The authorities and communities stigmatize
people who use drugs
« where drug users live, there is misery»

10. • OST
The Methadone program of Médecins du
Monde, due to political blockage is
limited to 70 patients
Current OST coverage rate in Afghanistan: 0.058%

11. ADUG Activities
• Advocacy at International Level through IAC and
Harm reduction Conferences to raise the issue of
inhuman situation for Afghan drug users and
promote effective treatment
– Vienna, July 2010- International AIDS conference
– Beirut, April 2011- Harm Reduction conference
– The Maldives, September 2011- regional workshop on Opioid
Substitution Therapy
– Geneva, December 2011- UNAIDS PCB (virtual participation)
– Washington, July 2012-International AIDS conference

12. Vienna International
HIV/AIDS Conference in
2010

13. UNAIDS PCB Geneva,
December 2011
Virtual participation through Video and
Skype conference
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOBW0PZZOyI

14. ADUG
Community Development as an effective
Harm Reduction strategy

15. ADUG objectives
• The Afghan Drug User Group (ADUG) started its journey in
August 2010
“ We are a movement of Afghan people who use drugs (current and former)
that joined forces to represent user’s interests, improve our condition and
promote participation of people who use drugs in decision making, policy
and planning.”
• The ADUG demand that the human rights of people who use
drugs are respected and promoted
“ We urge the Afghan Government to scale up of the harm reduction response
in order to protect our individual and the general public health. ADUG is a
recognized member of the International Network of People who Use Drugs
(INPUD).”

16. ADUG Activities
• Advocacy at national level
- ADUG has organized for the World Aids Day in december 2010 a public
demonstration to raise the human right abuses among people who use
drugs
- ADUG has participated to the official celebration of the World Aids Day
in December 2011 to promote effective treatment to all the ones who
are in needs
- ADUG publishes human rights violation reports

17. ADUG organizing the first
Afghan demonstration
on World AIDS Day 2010

18. Participation to the World Aids Day
in December 2011
HE the Minister of Health received from the
hands of the Afghan Drug User Group a list of
several hundreds of names and thumbprints of
people who use drugs requesting methadone
inclusion