In calling for increased access to services, it is important to assess the finances that are currently available for the harm reduction response. IHRA estimates that US$160 million was spent on HIV-related harm reduction in low and middle income countries in 2007. To put this in context, UNAIDS estimated that the resources needed for harm reduction were $2.13 billion in 2009 and $3.2 billion in 2010. Current expenditure works out at less than three US cents per day per person injecting drugs in these countries, which is clearly insufficient. The biggest investors in harm reduction are people who inject drugs themselves. Expenditure on harm reduction supplies (e.g. needles and syringes) and on drug treatment mainly comes from the out-of-pocket expenses of people who use drugs, rather than from harm reduction services.
Currently, the majority of harm reduction funding comes from a very small number of international donors and bilaterals, including:
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
UK Department for International Development
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
