Drug Users as Social Change Agents in Asia: The Diversity of Experience and Challenges

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Dr. Mukta Sharma is a social scientist by training. She has spent the last decade working in Asia on HIV prevention for most-at-risk groups, particularly people who inject drugs and their sexual partners. Her work has involved research as well as program implementation in resource-poor settings across South and South-East Asia. Mukta currently works as the team leader for the AusAID funded HIV/AIDS Asia Regional Program which is the largest regional harm reduction initiative in Asia covering five countries. Prior to that she worked at WHO SEARO (South-East Asia Regional Office) as a Technical Officer in the HIV unit. She has published over 20 articles in peer-reviewed journals focusing on HIV prevention, care, and treatment for people who inject drugs. Mukta is a strong advocate for public health approaches that are evidence based and respect human rights.

Dr. Anindya Chatterjee has provided leadership in research, policy, and program development in the area of global health over the last decades. He has worked internationally with the United Nations, bilateral development agency, government authorities, NGOs, research, and international agencies. His areas of expertise are health programs for most-at-risk populations, HIV prevention, substance use, and mental health. Currently based in South Africa, he manages Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS's (UNAIDS's) regional technical support and Global Fund grant implementation support for Eastern and Southern African countries. In his recent assignment, he provided leadership for a multimillion dollars HIV/AIDS Asia Regional Program of the Australian and the Netherlands Governments aimed at reducing the transmission of HIV among drug users in select countries of South-East Asia and China. He also headed the Asian division and HIV Prevention Team of the UNAIDS in Geneva during 2002–2007. He has developed several pioneering outreach programs; helped pioneer community-based health programs for most-at-risk populations; developed international normative standards and guidelines for policy and programming; and founded a mental health NGO. He has authored several articles, monographs, and books. He graduated in medicine in 1983 and subsequently obtained the doctoral degree in psychiatry and postdoctoral training in anthropology and public health in India and US.