Antiretroviral Treatment For Injecting Drug Users   http://www.i-base.info/htb/index.html Not-for-profit technical review of Antiretroviral Treatment For Injecting Drug Users A Quarterly Bulletin tue, 1 apr 2008 9:00:00 GMT tue, 1 apr 2008 9:00:00 GMT   en-gb HIV i-Base and contibutors rss@i-base.org.uk rss@i-base.org.uk       Substance use and harm reduction http://www.i-base.info/idu/2008/en/dec08/Substance.html A powerful overview of all the issues associated with harm reduction was given by Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman as a plenary lecture in a session that packed the vast main session hall.   Injection drug users and HIV: evidence based review of clinical treatment considerations http://www.i-base.info/idu/2008/en/dec08/Injection.html Several oral presentations on IDU issues relating to treatment were included in a symposium on IDU and global responses. Staphylococcal infections among injection drug users http://www.i-base.info/idu/2008/en/dec08/Staphylococcal.html Another talk in the IDU symposium was given by Frederick Altice from Yale University and looked at management of staphylococcal infections among IDUs. [1]     Abacavir and heart disease: SMART study supports an abacavir-associated increased risk of cardiovascular disease http://www.i-base.info/idu/2008/en/dec08/Abacavir.html Jens Lundgren from the INSIGHT research group presented an analysis of nucleoside toxicity and cardiovascular disease from the SMART treatment interruption study. [1]   Selected other IDU-related studies http://www.i-base.info/idu/2008/en/dec08/Selected.html The following summaries are a selection from the many posters presented at the conference. Impact of current, former or no injecting drug use on ARV access and response in Swiss patients   Impact of current, former or no injecting drug use on ARV access and response in Swiss patients http://www.i-base.info/idu/2008/en/dec08/Impact.html An interesting poster of all patients in the Swiss cohort from 1997-2006 looked at the impact of IDU and access to drug treatment programmes (DTP) on access to ARV and treatment response.   Success in access to ART treatment for IDUs through PLHA network and community participation, Vietnam http://www.i-base.info/idu/2008/en/dec08/Success.html A poster from Hang and colleagues reported on the successful involvement of People Living with HIV in Vietnam, where 70% of HIV-positive people are from the drug using community. The challenges in successful ARV care include adherence, lost to follow up and drug resistance. Model for scaling up access to HIV treatment for IDU in China http://www.i-base.info/idu/2008/en/dec08/Model.html Wang and colleagues presented a poster outlining an ARV roll out programme in Yunnan Province, which has the largest number of HIV cases in China with local IDU-driven epidemics. User assessment of IDU services in Uzbekistan http://www.i-base.info/idu/2008/en/dec08/User.html In Uzbekistan, HIV incidence is increasing, with 2205 newly reported HIV infections in 2006 and 30% of IDUs testing HIV-positive in Tashkent between 2003 and 2004. High mortality of HIV-positive IDU in Vietnam http://www.i-base.info/idu/2008/en/dec08/High.html A poster from Vietnam that showed approximate 20% mortality over one year for HIV-positive people vs 2-3% for HIV-negative.