SOUTH AFRICAN BIO-BEHAVIOURAL SURVEY AND POPULATION SIZE ESTIMATION AMONG PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS, 2023

​Conducted in South Africa at four sites in 2023 between May and September, TB HIV Care’s BioBehavioural Survey (BBS) showed high prevalence rates of HIV and Hepatitis C in people who inject drugs (PWID). The Survey found that HIV prevalence among PWID was as high as 72.1% in Tshwane, 49.3% in eThekwini, 45.4% in Mashishing, and 30.3% in Mbombela. Anti-hepatitis C prevalence was highest in Mbombela (90.5%), followed by Tshwane (89.0%), eThekwini (75.2%), and Mashishing (40.8%). The Survey also measured the prevalence of drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) in the study population, generating the first such data in South Africa. Across the sites statistics pointed to a notable burden and the need for intensified TB diagnosis and treatment by highlighting prevalence of 7.2% in eThekwini, 2% in Tshwane and less than 1% in both the Mashishing and Mbombela sites. ​

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