From April 2003 to March 2004, the objective was to reach 1000 injecting drug users (IDUs) with information and services. Figure 1. shows that direct services were provided to over 1200 injecting drug users during this period.

The current project is operating at its maximum capacity. The current budget provides an allowance for up to Rs3, 74,400 to be spent on needles and syringes. This amount can provide 200 people with clean injecting equipment every day (i.e. Rs 5 per person per day). Over 50,000 clean syringes and 84,000 clean needles were distributed during the first 12 months. More needles were collected for safe disposal than those, which were distributed (111% return). Safe disposal contributes to the public health goals of the project of preventing blood born infections.

The service was accessed by less than 25% of the local IDUs. Sharan estimates that there are approximately 5000 IDUs within a 5 km radius of the drop-in centre. This coverage needs to be expanded to 60% (i.e. 3000 people) if a significant impact is to be made on the incidence of HIV in the drug users who pass through Yamuna Bazaar.

The coverage of the current service is decreasing, despite an increasing demand on the service. The number of new injecting drug users is increasing in the area. Reports from the outreach team and from group meetings with local IDUs indicate that the amount of injecting drug use in the area is increasing. More than 200 new people registered with the programme in the three months since a nearby slum was demolished. The demolition of the Sanjay Amar Colony slum in May has changed the patterns of drug acquisition. People who were using smack started buying injectable pharmaceuticals.