Research and Rapid Assessments

PIRT conducts original research and encourages collaboration with international partner organisations. PIRT staff have conducted rapid assessments of drug use and HIV in community and prison settings. Examples of past and current research projects include:

• A literature review to identify 50 key documents on HIV prevention, treatment and care for injecting drug users. This project was conducted for the International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA), with funding from AVERT. The final list of documents can be found on the IHRA website.

• A qualitative study of the process by which We Help Ourselves, an abstinence-based therapeutic community, introduced harm reduction strategies into their service model. This project was funded by the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office (WHO WPRO) and the final report can be downloaded from the WPRO harm reduction webpage. The report has also been printed as part of the NDARC Technical Report Series.

• A rapid assessment of drug use, HIV prevalence and HIV risk behaviours in prisons in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2005, and a rapid assessment of drug use and HIV risk behaviours in Mongolia in 2006.

• A report on drug demand reduction strategies in closed settings in China, Indonesia and Vietnam. 'Closed settings' is a term encompassing prisons, work camps and compulsory drug treatment centres. This report will identify the various drug education and treatment programs available to detainees of closed settings in these three countries. This project is funded by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Centre (UNODC) for East Asia and the Pacific and the final report will be available by early 2007.

• A report on HIV prevention, treatment and care (PTC) in prisons in India, Indonesia, Thailand and Nepal. This comprehensive report includes an introduction to the issues of HIV PTC in prison; an analysis of HIV PTC in prisons in each of the above countries; a regional summary of HIV PTC; and recommendations for improving HIV PTC in prisons. This project was funded by the World Health Organization South-East Asia Regional Office and a report will be available by early 2007.