WAPCAS PLUS implements and supports programmes addressing areas such as:

• HIV prevention, testing, treatment linkage, and support.
• Tuberculosis prevention, screening, referral, and linkage to treatment.
• Harm reduction for people who use and inject drugs.
• Community-based health education and outreach.
• HIV and TB services for populations at increased risk.
• Capacity building for healthcare workers, community organisations, and other stakeholders.
• Advocacy for improved access to evidence-based health services.
• Data collection, monitoring, research, and programme evaluation.

People who use or inject drugs may face particular health risks and significant barriers to healthcare. These can include stigma, discrimination, limited access to health services, and increased exposure to HIV, viral hepatitis, TB, and other health conditions.

Working with these communities allows public health programmes to provide accurate information, facilitate access to prevention and treatment services, and reduce preventable illness and transmission. This approach is based on the public health principle that everyone should have access to appropriate health information and services.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It attacks the body's immune system. Without effective treatment, HIV can progressively weaken the immune system and may lead to AIDS.

There is currently no cure for HIV, but effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) can control the virus and enable people living with HIV to live long and healthy lives.

HIV can be transmitted through certain body fluids, including blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk, when they come into contact with susceptible parts of another person's body. Common routes of transmission include:

• Sexual transmission without effective prevention.
• Sharing contaminated needles, syringes, or other equipment used for injecting drugs.
• Transmission from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
• Exposure to infected blood, particularly through unsafe medical or injection practices.

HIV is not transmitted through ordinary social contact such as hugging, shaking hands, sharing food, or sitting next to someone living with HIV.

Yes. HIV prevention can involve several approaches, including:

• Correct and consistent condom use.
• HIV testing and knowing one's status.
• HIV treatment for people living with HIV.
• Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for people who may benefit from it.
• Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) following a potential exposure, when medically appropriate and started promptly.
• Avoiding the sharing of needles and other injecting equipment.
• Access to harm-reduction services.
• Prevention of mother-to-child transmission services.

Effective prevention often involves combining several approaches according to individual and community needs.

U=U means that a person living with HIV who takes HIV treatment as prescribed and maintains an undetectable viral load has effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to a sexual partner.

It is important for people living with HIV to take their treatment consistently and attend their healthcare appointments so that their viral load can be monitored.

HIV testing helps people know their status and make informed decisions about their health. For people who test negative, appropriate prevention services can help them remain negative. For people who test positive, early linkage to HIV treatment can improve health outcomes and reduce the likelihood of HIV transmission.

HIV testing should be provided with appropriate confidentiality, counselling, informed consent, and referral to care.

Tuberculosis, commonly called TB, is an infectious disease caused by bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB most commonly affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body.

TB can spread through the air when a person with infectious pulmonary or laryngeal TB coughs, speaks, sings, or sneezes. Transmission is more likely in poorly ventilated or crowded environments.

TB is not normally spread through sharing food, shaking hands, or casual physical contact.

Symptoms of pulmonary TB may include:

• Persistent cough.
• Fever.
• Night sweats.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Chest pain.
• Weakness or tiredness.
• Coughing up blood in some cases.

Anyone experiencing symptoms suggestive of TB should seek medical evaluation rather than attempting to diagnose themselves.

People who use drugs may experience social and environmental conditions that can increase vulnerability to TB. In addition, HIV and TB can occur together and may complicate each other's management. Regular screening and early diagnosis can help people access treatment sooner and reduce the risk of transmission to others.

Yes. TB is treatable and curable when the appropriate medicines are taken correctly for the recommended duration. It is important to complete treatment exactly as prescribed. Stopping treatment early or taking medicines incorrectly can contribute to drug-resistant TB.

Harm reduction is a public health approach that aims to reduce the health, social, and economic harms associated with drug use. It recognises that while prevention of drug use may be an important goal, people who currently use drugs still need access to healthcare, information, and evidence-based services. Harm reduction can include:

• HIV and hepatitis prevention.
• Needle and syringe programmes where available.
• Overdose prevention and response education.
• HIV and TB testing and referral.
• Linkage to treatment and other healthcare services.
• Drug-use education and risk-reduction information.
• Psychosocial support.
• Referral to drug treatment and rehabilitation services where appropriate.

No. The purpose of harm reduction is to reduce preventable illness, injury, infection, and death associated with drug use. Providing health information or preventive services does not mean encouraging drug use. Instead, it provides an opportunity to engage people with healthcare services and, where appropriate, support them to reduce or stop drug use.

A needle and syringe programme is a harm-reduction intervention that provides people who inject drugs with access to sterile injecting equipment and safe disposal options. The public health objective is to reduce the sharing and reuse of contaminated injecting equipment, which can contribute to transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and other infections.

Injecting drugs can involve sharing needles, syringes, or other equipment that may contain infected blood. If contaminated equipment is shared, HIV can be transmitted directly into the bloodstream. Access to sterile injecting equipment, HIV testing, treatment, education, and other prevention services can substantially reduce these risks.

An opioid overdose occurs when an opioid affects the body to the extent that essential functions — particularly breathing — become dangerously impaired. Overdose is a medical emergency. Rapid recognition and appropriate emergency response can save lives.

Naloxone is a medicine that can rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Where legally and medically available, naloxone can be an important component of overdose prevention and response programmes.

HIV weakens the immune system and increases a person's risk of developing TB disease. TB is also one of the important illnesses associated with advanced HIV infection. For this reason, HIV and TB services are often integrated so that people can be screened, diagnosed, treated, and referred appropriately.

Yes. HIV and TB can occur together. A person living with HIV has a higher risk of developing TB disease than someone without HIV. People diagnosed with TB may therefore be offered HIV testing, while people living with HIV may be screened regularly for TB.

Integrated screening can help identify infections earlier and facilitate timely treatment. For populations that may face barriers to healthcare — including people who use or inject drugs — bringing multiple services together can make healthcare easier to access and improve continuity of care.

Stigma and discrimination can discourage people from seeking HIV, TB, mental health, substance-use, and other healthcare services. Creating respectful and confidential services can encourage people to seek care earlier and remain engaged with treatment.

WAPCAS PLUS works from a public health and human-rights perspective to ensure that people affected by HIV, TB, drug use, and related health issues can access appropriate information, prevention services, healthcare, referrals, and support. Providing health services does not require approving of a person's drug use.

HIV status is personal health information and should be handled confidentially in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, professional standards, and health-service policies. Healthcare providers and organisations should protect clients' privacy and avoid unnecessary disclosure of their health information.

Community education helps people understand health risks, recognise symptoms, learn about prevention, and identify where they can obtain appropriate services. Education also helps address misinformation, stigma, and misconceptions surrounding HIV, TB, drug use, and harm reduction.

Community-based programmes can reach people who may not regularly access conventional healthcare facilities. Community outreach can provide health information, screening, referrals, follow-up, and support closer to where people live or spend time.

Programme data can help organisations understand service needs, monitor programme performance, identify gaps, improve interventions, and support evidence-based decision-making. Data should be collected and managed responsibly, with appropriate safeguards for confidentiality and privacy.

Yes. WAPCAS PLUS programmes can provide valuable learning opportunities for students, researchers, public health professionals, policymakers, and other stakeholders interested in HIV, TB, harm reduction, community health, and public health programming. Any research involving individuals or their personal information should follow appropriate ethical, privacy, and institutional requirements.

Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to HIV or who has symptoms suggestive of TB should seek assessment from an appropriate healthcare facility or qualified health professional. Early testing and diagnosis can make a significant difference in accessing appropriate treatment and preventing further transmission.

Yes. With effective HIV treatment and regular medical care, people living with HIV can maintain their health and live long, productive lives. HIV treatment also plays a major role in preventing sexual transmission when viral suppression is maintained.

HIV, TB, and drug-related health problems are public health issues — not reasons to stigmatise or exclude people. Accurate information, early testing, prevention, treatment, community engagement, and respectful healthcare can save lives and improve the health of individuals, families, and communities.