Injecting Drug Use and Associated Harms Among Aboriginal Australians

The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) commissioned Anex and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Inc. to conduct a project entitled "Injecting Drug Use and Associated Harms among Aboriginal Australians". The project is based on recommendations made by the National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee (NIDAC), which reports to the ANCD on drug and alcohol problems and associated harms in Aboriginal communities nationally. Providing choice and improving options for individuals must be the ultimate goals in a functioning health system. Barriers to choice and options for access to health services can increase dependence on a person’s level of disadvantage and vulnerability.

The findings of this project support this premise and outline a range of issues that impact on the ability of Aboriginal people who inject drugs to access quality and timely prevention, treatment and harm reduction services, when and where they need them. This report highlights the need for greater investment in the prevention, treatment and harm reduction sector so that those most disadvantaged in our community are not further disadvantaged by an ineffective system. The findings from this project tell a similar story to many other research projects undertaken in this area. The next steps must be to move from analysis and consideration to action - that is, a structured and detailed approach to planning and delivering services that encompasses the complexity inherent among Aboriginal people who inject drugs, but is practical enough to make a difference.