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Zambo mayor, barangay leaders laud |
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Posted on 27 February 2009
Lobregat, along with other local officials, credited the package of interventions of the PRIMEX-led pilot project in his city despite the absence of suggested distribution and actual exchange of needles and syringes as a way to demonstrate mechanisms in mitigating health risks associated with drug injection. "Some IDUs are no longer using drugs because of the pilot project," Mayor Lobregat said during the presentation of project evaluation results last 20 January 2009 in Zamboanga City. "I am very happy about the results". The pilot project, implemented in barangays Mariki and Sta. Catalina in Zamboanga City, aimed to demonstrate the feasibility, acceptability, and immediate effectiveness of a package of interventions among IDUs, their families and communities. As a gesture of project recognition, the Barangay Councils of Sta. Catalina and Mariki adopted separate resolutions commending the project and its implementors. "The gains of the project can be seen through behavior change exhibited by the injecting drug users, such as not injecting drugs and stopping drug use altogether and reduction of drug-related crimes in the area," reads the resolution signed by Sta. Catalina Barangay Captain Manuel Q. Banua. "(We) highly commend the strategies employed by the project especially the conduct of the support group among these individuals and the operation of an outreach post." In the short period of implementation (February to October 2008), the project provided a package of services to 240 IDUs representing 75% of the estimated IDU population in barangays at the two pilot sites. Services provided to the target groups through trained peer educators and outreach posts (ORPs) included (i) the provision of information on HIV, hepatitis, and STI prevention as well as condom use; (ii) Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials distribution; (iii) counseling, (iv) demonstration of safe injecting; and (v) social activities. Of this number, 80 IDUs were reached intensively through participation in support groups.
The pilot project was one of several activities under the ADB Regional Technical Assistance for Fighting HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific - Subproject 5: Strengthening Country Response to HIV/AIDS among High-Risk Groups (RETA 6321) implemented by PRIMEX in association with ACHIEVE and Remedios AIDS Foundation. In Zamboanga City, the interventions were conducted in partnership with local nongovernment organization (NGO), Human Development and Empowerment Services, Inc. (HDES), under the overall supervision of Ms. Malou Lim, HDES Executive Director. An End-of-Pilot Project Assessment Report was recently submitted to ADB discussing the findings of a study on the project's impact including the 'degree of effectiveness in achieving planned outcomes', and its 'acceptability to the local stakeholders.' (Arvin Yana/ PRIMEX) |
Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat hailed as effective the recently-concluded pilot project in changing the behavior of injecting drug users (IDUs) in his city. 
The project also managed to successfully push for the inclusion of IDU and harm reduction in the city's Strategic Plan for 2008-2012 with specific mention of project interventions such as outreach posts and support groups.