Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
United Press International - November 8, 2007
Human Rights Watch said Russia's healthcare system violates international obligations by restricting access to evidence-based drug dependence treatment for injection drug users.
"The lack of effective drug addiction treatment in Russia means that drug users who want to break their addiction cannot, and are condemned to a life of continued drug use," senior researcher Diederik Lohman said Thursday in a news release. "This leaves them vulnerable to HIV infection, other drug-related health conditions, and death by overdose."
The report said several million people in Russia are believed to be drug users, with more than 10 percent of injection drug users believed to be living with HIV.
HRW said drug addicts who voluntarily seek treatment are put on a drug-user registry used to restrict drug users in their rights and perceived as stigmatizing by most drug users. Research on drug-dependence treatment has found that treatment services should be easily accessible to ensure the largest possible number of people seeks help, the report said.
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