UN forum on promoting the use of safer needles kicks off in Geneva

With an estimated 6 billion injections given every year with syringes or needles that are reused without sterilization, the United Nations health agency has gathered together global experts to explore ways to promote the use of safer needles, which in turn can prevent the spread of viruses such as Hepatitis.

The annual meeting of the Safe Injection Global Network (SIGN), which kicked off at WHO’s headquarters in Geneva, brings together UN agencies, donors, experts, countries and industry.

Over the next three days, participants will examine how best to encourage countries and procurement agencies to purchase the safest needles, how to encourage manufacturers to lower the price of such products, and how to boost countries’ local manufacturing capacity.

WHO estimates that 40 per cent of all injections given in developing countries – and up to 70 per cent in some countries – are with needles or syringes that are reused without sterilization.

While the agency has been advising countries to use needles with safety features, most cannot afford these new technologies. Less sophisticated needles cost about $0.03, while more advanced, safer ones are about $0.15.

“The new technologies should be available to developing countries, where injections are used more and where the risk of infection transmission is greater,” Dr. Howard Zucker, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Technology and Pharmaceuticals, stated.

According to WHO, unsafe injections and needle stick injuries suffered by health-care workers together cause 33 per cent of new Hepatitis B infections and 2 million new cases of Hepatitis C in the world each year. Unsafe injections in health-care settings also account for an estimated 5 per cent of new HIV cases worldwide.

The use of syringes with features that prevent reuse and needle stick injuries would avert about 1.3 million global deaths per year by preventing infections and the epidemics caused by their spread, WHO estimates.

To promote safer injections, the agency will discuss with manufacturers possible ways to lower the price of safer injection devices, as well as promote interaction between local manufacturers and the two umbrella organizations for injection device manufacturers – the International Association for Safe Injection Technology and the European Medical Technology Industry Association.