Asia Pacific Drug Issues Committee

Media Release

2nd Australian Needle and Syringe Program Return on Investment Study

25 June 2012

The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) Asia Pacific Drug Issues Committee (APDIC) is pleased to announce the availability of a summary paper based on the influential 2^nd Australian Needle and Syringe Program Return on Investment Study is now also available in Mandarin.

The original English language summary paper was prepared by APDIC in consultation with the authors of the major report from the Kirby Institute and is currently available on the APDIC website in English, Burmese, Vietnamese, Khmer and now Mandarin, with more languages expected to follow.

The translations are being prepared in collaboration with the AusAID Offices in Hanoi and Bangkok through the Australian Government Aid Program funded initiative in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, the HIV/AIDS Asia Regional Program (HAARP) and more recently with partners and colleagues in the Region.

It is expected that these current and future translations will assist in the expansion and further development of needle and syringe programs in the region, which will potentially save thousands of lives by preventing the transmission of HIV and other blood borne viruses.

APDIC would also like remind its colleagues that consideration for replication of the 2^nd Australian Needle and Syringe Program Return on Investment Study is possible for countries in the region with Dr David Wilson from the Kirby Institute advising – “After conducting the Return on Investment Study of Needle-Syringe Programs in Australia and numerous countries in Eastern Europe, the University of New South Wales team, in conjunction with the World Bank, is selecting countries in Asia in which to replicate this study. If your organisation(s) are interested in working with UNSW to conduct an impact and economic evaluation of harm reduction programs in your country.”

For further information of having the study replicated in your country please contact David Wilson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

APDIC Chair, A/Prof Robert Ali also welcomed Dr David Wilson as the newest ANCD appointee to APDIC.

For further information on the content of this media release please contact Mr Gino Vumbaca, ANCD Executive Director on 0408-244-552 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .