University experts help shape new European public health guidance

A team of experts from Glasgow Caledonian University have been instrumental in shaping new European public health guidance to prevent and control infections among people who inject drugs.

Six key interventions have been outlined by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) to address infectious diseases in this population, reflect new evidence, infectious disease treatments and public health concepts.

The team, from the School of Health and Life Sciences Research Centre for Health (ReaCH), who played a key role in the guidance were public health experts Dr Norah Palmateer, Professor Sharon Hutchinson, Dr Victoria Hamill, Dr Kirsten Trayner, Chris Biggam and Shanley Smith. Dr Palmateer and Professor Hutchinson were involved in the previous guidance published in 2011.

Dr Palmateer, Reader in Public Health and co-lead of the ReaCH Sexual Health and Blood Borne Viruses Research Group, said: “We were delighted to be involved in producing this updated European guidance, which is based on the latest evidence of effectiveness of interventions in preventing and controlling infectious diseases among people who inject drugs.

“This guidance will give countries the knowledge and tools to be able to deliver these evidence-based interventions at scale, and will have an impact in Europe and potentially beyond.

“Our role was to undertake systematic reviews to generate the evidence base for the impact of drug treatment, needle and syringe programmes, and drug consumption rooms in the prevention of hepatitis C virus transmission, HIV transmission, and injecting risk behaviour among people who inject drugs.

“We also had to grade the evidence and develop draft recommendations, chair a meeting of an expert panel to present the evidence and draft recommendations, collate votes and feedback from the expert panel, and draft and edit sections of the guidance itself.”

With this latest guidance, the ECDC and the EMCDDA aim to support policymakers, drug professionals, and civil society organisations by providing an evidence base to inform national strategies, policies, and programmes for people who inject drugs.

The six key intervention areas and recommendations proposed in the guidance range from the provision of sterile injection equipment, testing, and vaccination, to the treatment of infections and drug dependence.