A Handbook for Starting and Managing Needle and Syringe Programmes in Prisons and Other Closed Settings

To successfully address HIV and hepatitis where injecting drug use occurs, countries should prioritize implementing NSPs and evidence-based drug dependence treatment (specifically OST), HIV testing and counselling and access to antiretroviral therapy.

Needle and syringe programmes (NSP) provide access to sterile injecting equipment to people who inject illicit drugs to prevent the transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C through shared injection equipment.