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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Enrolment and retention of people who inject drugs in the Needle & Syringe Exchange Programme in Malaysia
AU - Chandrasekaran, S.
AU - Kyaw, N.T.T.
AU - Harries, Anthony
AU - Yee, I.A
AU - Ellan, P.
AU - Kurusamy, T.
AU - Yusoff, N.
AU - Mburu, Gitau
AU - Mohammad, W.M.Z.W.
AU - Suleiman, A.
PY - 2017/6/21
Y1 - 2017/6/21
N2 - Setting: Needle and Syringe Exchange Programme (NSEP) implemented by non-governmental organisations in Malaysia.Objectives: To determine enrolment, characteristics and retention in the NSEP of people who inject drugs (PWID) between 2013 and 2015.Design: Retrospective cohort study.Results: There were 20 946 PWID, with a mean age of 38 years. The majority were male (98%) and of Malay ethnicity (92%). Follow-up data were available for 20 761 PWID. Annual retention of newly enrolled PWID for each year was respectively 85%, 87% and 78% for 2013, 2014 and 2015, although annual enrolment over these years declined from 10 724 to 6288 to 3749. Total person-years (py) of follow-up were 27 806, with loss to follow-up of 40 per 100 py. Cumulative probability of retention in NSEP was 66% at 12 months, 45% at 24 months and 26% at 36 months. Significantly higher loss to follow-up rates were observed in those aged 15–24 years or 50 years, females, transgender people and non-Malay ethnic groups.Conclusion: Annual retention of new PWID on NSEP was impressive, although enrolment declined over the 3 years of the study and cumulative loss to follow-up was high. A better understanding of these programmatic outcomes is required.
AB - Setting: Needle and Syringe Exchange Programme (NSEP) implemented by non-governmental organisations in Malaysia.Objectives: To determine enrolment, characteristics and retention in the NSEP of people who inject drugs (PWID) between 2013 and 2015.Design: Retrospective cohort study.Results: There were 20 946 PWID, with a mean age of 38 years. The majority were male (98%) and of Malay ethnicity (92%). Follow-up data were available for 20 761 PWID. Annual retention of newly enrolled PWID for each year was respectively 85%, 87% and 78% for 2013, 2014 and 2015, although annual enrolment over these years declined from 10 724 to 6288 to 3749. Total person-years (py) of follow-up were 27 806, with loss to follow-up of 40 per 100 py. Cumulative probability of retention in NSEP was 66% at 12 months, 45% at 24 months and 26% at 36 months. Significantly higher loss to follow-up rates were observed in those aged 15–24 years or 50 years, females, transgender people and non-Malay ethnic groups.Conclusion: Annual retention of new PWID on NSEP was impressive, although enrolment declined over the 3 years of the study and cumulative loss to follow-up was high. A better understanding of these programmatic outcomes is required.
KW - injecting drug users
KW - Retention
KW - Malaysia
KW - harm reduction
KW - attrition
U2 - 10.5588/pha.17.0003
DO - 10.5588/pha.17.0003
M3 - Journal article
VL - 7
SP - 155
EP - 160
JO - Public Health Action
JF - Public Health Action
SN - 2220-8372
IS - 2
ER -