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Australian NSP Survey National Data Report 2019 – 2023

The Australian Needle Syringe Program Survey (ANSPS) provides serial point prevalence estimates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) (antibody and RNA) and sexual and injecting risk behaviour among people who inject drugs (PWID) attending needle syringe programs (NSPs) in Australia.

Conducted annually over a one-two week period, all clients attending participating NSPs are invited to complete a brief, anonymous questionnaire and to provide a capillary blood sample for HIV and HCV antibody and HCV RNA testing. Between 2020 and 2022 the survey was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with a reduced number of respondents participating compared to previous years.

This report presents national and state/territory data for the period 2019 to 2023.

Key findings

In 2023, 55 Australian Needle Syringe Programs (NSPs) participated in the ANSPS and 1,991 NSP attendees completed the survey. The response rate was 37%.
As a sentinel surveillance system with the capacity to respond to emerging issues, the 2020 – 2023 surveys included a module about COVID-19 related impacts, including vaccination uptake. In 2023, 80% of respondents reported receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including 48% reporting three or more doses and 26% reporting two doses.
HIV antibody prevalence remained low and stable nationally, ranging from 1.5% to 2.5% over the period 2019 to 2023.
HCV antibody prevalence declined from 45.5% in 2019 to 44.8% in 2023, while the proportion of respondents with detectable HCV RNA declined from 18% in 2019 to 12% in 2023.
Among respondents assessed as eligible for HCV treatment, the proportion who reported a lifetime history of HCV treatment increased, from 64% in 2019 to 75% in 2023.

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