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Review Article

Opioid use, treatment and harm reduction services: the first report from the Persian Gulf region

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Pages 217-223 | Received 10 Jun 2014, Accepted 28 Aug 2014, Published online: 06 Oct 2014
 

Abstract

Objective: The objective was to review all the available published studies and reports with particular emphasis on the prevalence of opioid use and the availability of opioid treatment and harm reduction services for adults in nine countries of the Persian Gulf region. The countries are the members of the Middle and North Africa Harm Reduction Association (MENAHRA).

Methods: Data were collected by searching Pub Med, Med line and EMBASE, by reviewing the reports of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), World Health Organization (WHO), Ministries of Health (MoH) in each country, regional databases, conference presentations and annual AIDS progress reports over the last one decade.

Results: We found that with an exception of Iran, there is a paucity of research on opioid use in the region. With an exception of Iran, opioid substitution therapy (OST) is not developed but in some countries, needle and syringe programs (NSPs) are slowly emerging. Voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy (ART) have been widely addressed. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are generally inactive. Islamic prohibitions against opioid use and stigma have prevented developing opioid treatment and harm reduction in the region.

Conclusion: An exchange of knowledge and experience on opioid use prevention, treatment and harm reduction is required between Iran and the region. Collaborations among religious leaders, mass-media, clinicians and policy makers are rigorously suggested to remove Islamic prohibitions and stigma and make opioid treatment a social norm.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the key experts who provided reports and documents for authors.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notice of Correction:

Corrections have been made to this article since its original online publication date of October 6, 2014.

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