During a visit to Dakar, Senegal, Luiz Loures, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Programme, prais
During a visit to Dakar, Senegal, Luiz Loures, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Programme, praised the work of CEPIAD, a centre that offers integrated care, treatment and counselling services to people who inject drugs.
CEPIAD is the first facility to offer such integrated services in western and central Africa. It strives to reduce drug use and to improve the physical and mental health of clients, including through HIV and hepatitis risk reduction programmes. The centre also helps people to get back to work and to re-integrate into family and social networks.
“We come here to eat, shower and get advice on how to protect ourselves from AIDS. They don’t judge us here, they help us.”
Client of the centre
“CEPIAD is a good example of applying operational research to national AIDS policy that has a multisectoral approach. Providing care to people who inject drugs is a priority of the national AIDS strategy for 2014–2017.”
Safetiou Thiam, Senegal National AIDS Council
“This centre offers a comprehensive range of services for people who inject drugs and should act as an example to the international community.”
Luiz Loures, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Programme
