92% of HIV Infections in Mauritius Transmitted Through Injection Drug Use, Government Reports

About 92% of new HIV infections in Mauritius are transmitted through injection drug use, up from 14% in 2002, the government said Monday, Reuters Health reports. Satya Faugoo, Mauritius' minister of health and quality of life, said the government plans to expand a needle-exchange program to reach 2,000 injection drug users by June 2008. The government also plans to provide methadone to 1,000 IDUs, Faugoo said.

The government has estimated that 20,000 of the country's 1.3 million residents are IDUs, and some experts say the number is higher. According to the United Nations, Mauritius has the second highest number of injection drug users worldwide. Mauritius has an HIV prevalence of 1.8%, Reuters Health reports (Reuters Health, 11/12).

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