UN Foundation

UN-Wire

Wednesday, February 09, 2000

Outbreaks of HIV/AIDS in China, India, Myanmar and Vietnam associated with injection drug use have been linked to four main overland heroin trafficking routes originating in Myanmar and Laos, an international team of experts has found.

The team used field-based research, molecular epidemiology, and information on narcotics control to map the spread of HIV along the heroin trafficking routes.

"Our findings suggest there is a clear and urgent need for India, China, Vietnam, [Myanmar] and their neighbors to consider and, where appropriate, implement strategies to reduce HIV transmission risks," said team leader Chris Beyrer of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. According to Beyrer, injection drug users spread HIV by sharing needles and through sexual behavior.

The study also assessed the impact of heroin trafficking on local communities by interviewing injection drug users, drug traffickers, public health staff and narcotics control personnel. "Single country narcotics and HIV programs are unlikely to succeed unless the regional narcotic-based economy is also addressed," Beyrer warned.

The region, commonly called the Golden Triangle, has been a major center of poppy cultivation since the 1800s. Myanmar produces 60% of the world's heroin, and Laos is the third-largest producer of opium (Johns Hopkins release, 4 Feb).