Low Dead-space Injecting Equipment Distribution Program for People Who Inject Drugs in Low- and Middle-income Countries

This study will recruit people who inject drugs to inform and evaluate the selection and distribution of low dead-space needles and syringes (LDSS/N) at their existing NSP services.

The interventions include: low- dead-space needles and syringes; and knowledge mobilisation through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and peer education.

Specifically, in Phase 1, people who inject drugs will be recruited at each study site to participate in FGDs, in which they will be presented with a selection of new LDSS/N products, provided information about their advantages regarding blood borne virus (BBV) transmission risk, and invited to discuss their values and preferences regarding needle- and syringe choice to inform the selection of LDSS/N to be piloted for scaled up distribution at their study sites.

Following the FGDs, during Phase 2 people who inject drugs who are registered clients at participating NSP services can enroll in a 6-week pilot period during which they will have access to a small selection of new LDSS/N products alongside the usual services they access at the study site or needle and syringe program (NSP). When the 6 week pilot phase concludes, participants will be invited to participate in a second round of FGDs, where they will be asked reflect on their experiences using the new LDSS/N products and share their opinions on which products to select for scaled up distribution to all clients accessing the study sites.

In Phase 3, a small selection LDSS/N (2-5) will be made available alongside the usual needles- and syringes and other existing harm reduction services at the study site/NSPs. During this period, two forms of data will be collected, 1) routine programmatic data, and 2) data from a concurrent cohort study.

The routine programmatic data collected will include information already routinely collected by the sites when individuals attend (site specific client ID, type and quantity of needles/syringes (N/S) collected) along with two additional questions 'Did you use a LDSS/N the last time you injected?" and "Thinking about the last week, for how many of your injections did you use a LDSS/N?'. No identifiable data will be recorded as part of routine programmatic data collection, therefore individuals included in this process are not considered 'participants' and will not undergo informed consent. This data will be used for the purposes of monitoring and evaluating LDSS/N uptake.

Alongside this distribution period, 240 people per country who inject drugs accessing participating study sites will be recruited into an observational cohort study. Participants will be asked to undergo HIV and HCV antibody testing and to answer surveys on demographic and behavioral activities at four timepoints (baseline, 6-months, 12-months, 18-months).

At the conclusion of the distribution period, a third round of FGDs will be run to assess the acceptability and impact of the LDSS/N distribution program. Key informant interviews with study staff and key stakeholders will also be completed to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of the LDSS/N program.

Following all data collection, mathematical modelling will estimate the impact and cost-effectiveness of scaling up LDSS/N for people who inject drugs at a country-level, including modelling the impact on BBV transmission.

Inclusion criteria

• Aged ≥18 years (note that country-specific protocols may include participants aged ≥16 where appropriate and relevant);
• Reporting a history of recent (past month) injection drug use;
• Accessing the NSP to receive injecting equipment at either a facility, mobile service or through outreach and have an accompanying assigned program unique ID;
• Able to understand and communicate in the local language(s);
• If self-reporting HCV/HIV negative status, interested in and agreeing to undergo HCV and HIV testing; and
• Willing and able to provide informed consent to take part in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• N/A