Why State will give Coast drug users free syringes

By Patrick Beja and Linah Benyawa

Government will ignore protests by religious leaders and activists and distribute free, clean syringes to about 26,667 intravenous drug users in Coast Province.

A four-day meeting of experts and policymakers on the issue began in Mombasa on Tuesday. It will draw up a plan for distributing syringes and needles in parts of the province most affected by intravenous injection of narcotics, which is linked to spread of HIV, hepatitis and other infectious diseases. The Kenya Aids NGO Consortium has said it will donate the first batch of syringes and

needles. The meeting in Mombasa includes officials from the National Agency for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (Nacada), ministries of Medical Services and Public Health and World Health Organisation who see this is as the best way to stem new epidemics related to sharing of needles by drug addicts.

On Tuesday the experts said the proposal is based on sound scientific research done in other countries although Coast Provincial Director of Medical Services Maurice Siminyu disclosed the Coast region is a test case because it “has the highest number of heroin users in Kenya” who inject the drug into their veins, while most other drug addicts in other parts of Kenya abuse cannabis sativa, also known as bhang.

The experts maintain that opposition to the proposed programme is spurred by ignorance and misinformation. Religious leaders and anti-drug activists claim it will encourage drug abuse.

On Tuesday, Nacada chairman Frank Njenga said the programme would begin “in the next few months” and opponents do not understand all the facts.

“Those who object don’t seem to understand that it is a comprehensive counseling programme that includes provision of anti-retroviral drugs (to fight Aids), condoms, and medication for tuberculosis.”

hard drugs

Critics of the programme claim free needles and syringes will increase demand for hard drugs and also enrich suppliers. But the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation and some NGOs are already laying the groundwork to distribute the first batch of eight million needles and syringes in Mombasa, according to Coast Director of Public Health and Sanitation, Anisa Omar.

“Distributing free needles and syringes is irrational, it will encourage more people to abuse hard drugs. It is not a solution to the current problem of drugs and substance abuse in the country,” said Mombasa Catholic Archbishop Boniface Lele on Tuesday.

Some critics even argue the proposal is illegal because it encourages commission of acts defined as crimes under the Penal Code, including taking drugs and trading in narcotics.

The Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) National Organising Secretary, Sheikh Mohammed Khalifa, said on Tuesday the programme is against the spirit of Kenya’s anti-narcotics laws because distribution of free needles and syringes will encourage drug abuse.

Khalifa said drug users are always short of money and will continue to share needles to consume the little drugs available.

“The reason they share injections is because they don’t have money to buy hard drugs,” said Khalifa.

But Dr Siminyu disagreed saying such claims are misconceived.

“The Government does not want to give (syringes and needles to) all drug users. Those targeted are those who are unable to reform,” Siminyu said on Tuesday, adding that the new policy is the only viable option to protect addicts sharing needs and syringes at risk of infection.

“The programme has not been tried anywhere in Kenya,” he acknowledged, saying that its proposed introduction in Coast is based on successful studies in other countries with a similar drug problem.

initial supplies

He said initial supplies of the needles and syringes will be channeled to those in need through private rehabilitation centres and hospitals, including Mewa and Omari Project in Likoni and Kisauni in Mombasa, and Reach Out in Malindi where intravenous drug abuse is rife.

And Dr Anisa said research had shown that blood borne diseases among intravenous drug users (IDUs) had reduced with the supply of clean needles and syringes.

“The programme has been approved by the World Health Organisation as it has shown a reduction in blood borne infections of HIV, hepatitis B and C and tuberculosis where it was tested,” said Dr Omar.

And Dr Njenga noted that the programe has been successful in Israel, the United Kingdom, US, Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Uganda, and Tanzania.

“This is a comprehensive counseling programme where you counsel and treat the addicts,” said Njenga.

Addicts will also get life prolonging Aids medicine and condoms and training on how to avoid overdosing on narcotics.

Meanwhile other leaders joined Lele and Khalifa in opposing the proposal.

Sheikh Famau Mohamed Famau from Malindi said that religious leaders were opposed to such intervention because it would encourage more youth to engage in drug abuse.

“The religious community is opposed to this project and must be consulted before its introduction. We support the establishment of more rehabilitation centres for drug addicts and not distribution of needles and syringes,” said Famau, who chairs the Maarufu anti-drug project in Malindi.

Famau claimed that it was immoral to supply needles and syringes to addicts while knowing they will misuse and questioned the wisdom of allowing other anti-drug programmes to proceed.

“I have been fighting drug trafficking in Malindi for many years and I cannot be part to the distribution of needles and syringes, which will attract more people into abusing drugs. Before the programme is introduce, parents of addicts and religious leaders should be consulted,” he said.

Statistics by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (Unodc) indicated that there were 26,667 IDUs in Mombasa and 22,500 others in Nairobi. 

The Unodc report further disclosed that one in every five people who inject drugs in Nairobi and Mombasa were living with HIV/Aids and over a third have reused needles/syringes in the past six months.

Kenya Aids NGO Consortium programme officer Bibi Mbete said recently that her organisation would be part of the initial donors for the free needle and syringes.

She said each addict would be entitled to three needles and syringes, injecting water and swabs per day.

“By giving them a complete set daily, we will ensure that the addicts don’t turn to used needles and syringes,” said Mbete.

The initial anti-drugs organisations enlisted for the project are Nairobi Outreach Centre Trust, Omar Project-Malindi, Teens Watch-South coast, Reach Out Centre Trust of Mombasa and Mewa Rehabilitation Centre.