Brasília, June 25, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - The Global Report on Drugs, released today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), cites Brazil as an international model in the fight against HIV virus infections among users of injectable drugs.

Around 13 million people all over the world use injectable drugs. Approximately 78% of these users live in developing countries, and the sharing of syringes and needles is the principal factor of transmission in these cases. In Brazil, the incidence of HIV among injectable drug users dropped from 24.5% to 12.1% between 1994 and 2002.

In comparative terms, the UNODC study reveals that, among this population, the disease "easily affects 50%, reaching 90% in some parts of the world." Opium and heroin consumption is considered the most troublesome. The report indicates that 67% of the treatments resulting from drug consumption in Asia stem from the consumption of opium derivatives. In Europe this index is 61%, according to the UNODC representative in Brazil, Giovanni Quaglia.

Reporter: Cecília Jorge
Translator: David Silberstein