While there has been significant advancement in the knowledge on effective HIV prevention methods among injecting drug users (IDUs), and their demonstrated success, in particular the impact of availability and use of clean injecting equipment on reducing HIV prevalence among IDUs, in Australia, the US and the UK, progress made in implementation of actual interventions focused on IDUs in South and South-East Asia is less than satisfactory. This paper examines some of the critical issues related to the context and causes of inadequate drug-related HIV prevention programmes in Asia. It also raises questions relating to evidence-based interventions to be scaled up in the region, including the need for sufficient resources anda conducive policy and legalenvironment.
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