The report, sponsored by The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited, examines drug control policies in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The region is transitioning to manage rising healthcare costs while reforming their health systems. The incidence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is increasing in EECA, and public health interventions for HIV have been low on policy-makers priority lists. Criminalization of drug use and incarceration for drug-related offences are contributing to an increase in prison populations in EECA countries. Arresting and putting people who inject drugs (PWID) in prison is both expensive and associated with an increase in HIV infections. The stigma associated with drug use in EECA further hinders the expansion of HIV prevention programmes within mainstream public health. The report concludes that investing in harm reduction is necessary to address the economic, health, and social impact of drug control policies in EECA.
