'First steps': using rapid assessment and response methods to develop research, intervention and advocacy capacity for addressing drug use in Rosario City, Argentina

During the last decade, injecting drug use (IDU) has increased in Rosario City, Argentina, and more than half of all reported HIV cases are thought to be related to the sharing of injection equipment. Despite this, valid and systematic data on the extent and nature of injecting drug use are rare, and only a limited number of HIV prevention interventions currently operate in the city. In response, the Universidad Nacional de Rosario have used the Spanish translation of the Rapid Assessment and Response Guide on Injecting Drug Use (IDU-RAR) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO. The Rapid Assessment and Response Guide on Injecting Drug Use (draft for field testing). Geneva: WHO, 1998) as a first step in producing more detailed research data, identifying urgently needed interventions, and designing a long-term harm reduction strategy for Rosario. This paper describes this process and the outcomes of the assessment where key findings indicate that: 65% of those sampled were HIV positive; 70% shared injecting equipment; the majority were not in contact with drug treatment services; 13% were under the age of 20; and 62% of those injecting drug users with HIV had neither medical care or treatment for their condition.