Theme: Clinical Research Year: 2024
Background: Wounds and Skin and Soft Tissue Infection (SSTI) disproportionately affect People Who Inject Drugs (PWID). Injection wounds are likely to be caused by repeated injection into the same anatomical site, Injections in a nonsterile environment, reusing needles or sharing used equipment. This could lead to serious complications such as sepsis, gangrene, amputation, and death.
Methods: A mixed Method approach involving 400 persons confirmed to have injected drugs at least daily in the past 6 months and are accessing Needle and Syringe were sampled from 20. 25% of the sample population were female. Data was collected through Participant observation at Drug User hotspot, Questionnaires administered to 350 persons at Injecting hotspots and Focus Group Discussions of 30 persons (10 males, 10 females and mixed group of 10 males/females). Validation of findings was undertaken in 2 focus groups of mixed stakeholders (Male/Female).
Results: 68.32% of the respondents reported having had various degrees of injecting wounds. 34.97% occurred in Age 26 – 30 years. Pharmaceutical pain-killer (Pentazocine and Fortwin) being the most widely injected drug accounted for 77.27% of reported injecting wounds. Equipment sharing and re-use among friends and injecting partners was 54.55% and 27.27% respectively of respondents. Only 29.20% sought support from NGOs. 92.77% for wound treatment. 42.73% do not sterilize the injecting site before injecting and majority had poor knowledge of proper sterilization of injecting equipment.
Conclusion: There is need for education and sensitization of young persons on proper injecting and the risk of equipment sharing; but also deepened reach of PWID with sterile equipment and injecting packs to promote hygiene and safe injecting practices. There needs to also be more effort in reaching Injecting Drug Users in rural areas with information and education as injecting wounds was more prevalent in rural areas.
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