Credit: Sue Heard, Kirby Institute UNSW Sydney

Needle Syringe Program National Minimum Data Collection (NSP NMDC)

The challenge

Needle and syringe programs (NSPs) are a key component of current and previous National Strategies for reducing blood-borne viral infections. The aims of the National Strategies are to reduce the transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C and to reduce associated morbidity, mortality and personal and social impacts. Each National Strategy outlines a set of indicators for monitoring progress towards these aims and reporting against the indicators through the National Surveillance and Monitoring Plan is a key step in the implementation process.

The project

The NSP National Minimum Data Collection (NSP NMDC) provides key data on NSP service provision to enable reporting against key NSP indicators outlined in the National Surveillance and Monitoring Plan.

The method

Following a meeting with key stakeholders in 2015, the NSP NMDC identified and agreed on annual collection and collation of data in relation to three broad areas of NSP operations:

  1. Agency-level administrative data (NSP service type and location)
  2. Client-level data (demographic characteristics of NSP attendees [age, gender and Indigenous status], drugs injected by NSP attendees and health education interventions and referrals provided)
  3. National needle and syringe distribution.
The results

The inaugural NSP NMDC National Data Report was published in 2016 with subsequent reports published annually.

The impact

The NSDP NMDC project provides key indicators to enable monitoring and evaluation of the impacts of Australia’s National HIV and Hepatitis C Strategies, as well as reporting against WHO HCV elimination goals and UNAIDS Global AIDS Response.

Project funding

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care