Key findings
- In 2020, 38 Australian Needle Syringe Programs (NSPs) participated in the ANSPS and 1,324 NSP attendees completed the survey. The response rate was 35%.
- As a sentinel surveillance system with the capacity to respond to emerging issues, the 2020 ANSPS included a module about COVID-19 related impacts. The majority (78%) of respondents reported that it was not more difficult to access needles and syringes during the pandemic, while 11% reported an increase and 35% reported a decrease in their illicit drug use.
- HIV antibody prevalence remained low nationally, increasing from 1.4% to 2.5% over the period 2016 to 2020.
- HCV antibody prevalence declined from 51% in 2016 to 39% in 2020.
- Among respondents tested for HCV RNA, the proportion with detectable HCV RNA declined from 33% in 2016 to 16% in 2020.
- Among respondents assessed as eligible for HCV treatment, the proportion who reported a lifetime history of HCV treatment increased significantly, from 29% in 2016 to 62% in 2020.
