About 92% Of HIV Infections In Mauritius Transmitted Through Injection Drug Use

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

Thegovernment has estimated that 20,000 of the country's 1.3 millionresidents are IDUs, and some experts say the number is higher.According to the United Nations, Mauritius has the second highestnumber of injection drug users worldwide. Mauritius has an HIVprevalence of 1.8%, Reuters Health reports (Reuters Health, 11/12).

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