Cross-sectional assessments of participants' characteristics and loss to follow-up in the first Opioid Substitution Therapy Pilot Program in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Background: Kabul has over 12,000 people who inject drugs (PWID), most of them heroin users, and opioid substitution therapy has recently been introduced as an effective method to reduce opioid use. We aimed to evaluate a pilot Opioid Substitution Therapy Pilot Program (OSTPP) in Kabul, Afghanistan, particularly to (1) describe characteristics of the participants enrolled in the program and (2) identify factors associated with client retention in the OSTPP.

Findings: Two cross-sectional surveys evaluated participants attending the OSTPP at baseline (n = 83) and 18 months after (n = 57).

Risky behavior and correlates of HIV and Hepatitis C Virus infection among people who inject drugs in three cities in Afghanistan.

Background: Injecting drug use is the primary mode of HIV transmission and acquisition in Afghanistan. People who inject drugs (PWID) in the country have been characterized by high risk injecting behavior and a high burden of HCV infection. We aimed to estimate the burden of HIV, HCV, and other infectious diseases and to identify the correlates of HIV and HCV infection among PWID living in three major Afghan cities in 2009.