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EDUCATION AND DEBATE:
Tim Rhodes and Milena Simic
Transition and the HIV risk environment
BMJ 2005; 331: 220-223 [Full text]
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[Read Rapid Response] Risk environment in Hungary and need for sound public health response
József Rácz   (29 July 2005)

Risk environment in Hungary and need for sound public health response 29 July 2005
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József Rácz,
researcher, psychiatrist
Institute for Psychology, Victor Hugo 18-22, Budapest - 1132

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Re: Risk environment in Hungary and need for sound public health response

In Hungary the “risk environment” is not quite as severe as in Russian and in the West Balkan and the macro-environmental (especially economic and social) components are not prevalent here. For example, Hungary did not experience the rapid changes in population, the collapse of its health-care and welfare systems, the precipitous economic, social and cultural crises which took place in Russia. Hungarian drug policy, which contains elements of harm reduction will also contribute to preventing the massive spread of infectious diseases. For example, our qualitative studies on injecting drug users (IDU) (1) underline the importance of unlimited availability of injection equipment in pharmacies and the help of needle exchange programs (however they are available only in bigger cities).

While the HIV prevalence is zero among IDUs, the hepatitis C (HCV) prevalence is about 30-35%. According to our experiences the HIV testing is widespread, however the possibility of HCV testing is limited: either in abstinence-oriented drug clinics or low threshold facilities. There is an urgent need to improve the testing possibilities and increase the coverage of the low threshold services in connection with IDUs (2).

1. Rácz, J: Injecting drug use, risk behaviour and risk environment in Hungary: A qualitative analysis. International Journal of Drug Policy, 2005 in press.

2. Gyarmathy, V. A., Rácz, J., Neaigus, A. & Ujhelyi, E. The urgent need forHIV and hepatitits prevention in drug treatment programs in Hungary. AIDS Education & Prevention; 2004;16, 3: 276-288.

Competing interests: None declared