In Australia, the Return On Investment Report 2 highlights the health, social and financial benefits associated with preventing blood borne virus transmission.
Between 2000 and 2009, the Australian Government invested $243 million in Needle and Syringe Programs (NSPs). This resulted in the prevention of an estimated 32,050 new HIV infections and 96,667 cases of hepatitis C. $1.28 billion dollars were saved in direct healthcare costs.
If patient/client costs and productivity gains and losses are included in the analysis, then the net present value of NSPs is $5.85 billion; that is, for every one dollar invested in NSPs, $27 is returned in cost savings.
The report states: “If NSPs were to decrease in size and number, then relatively large increases in both HIV and hepatitis C could be expected with associated losses of health and life and reduced returns on investment. Significant public health benefits can be attained with further expansion of sterile injecting equipment distribution.”
Department of Health and Ageing Return on Investment 2 mini-site
Anex Return on Investment Factsheet
Syringe programs return $4 for every $1 invested
Distributing syringes to drug injectors had prevented at least 32,000 HIV infections and 100,000 hepatitis C infections across Australia in the past 10 years, new research has found.
Anex argues that the national Return on Investment 2 study has shown that needle and syringe programs (NSP) have saved Australia $1.28 billion in health costs in the past decade years.
| Value of NSP programmes in Australia. Source: Return on Investment 2:
evaluating the cost effectiveness of needle and syringe programs in Australia |
||
| Region | Av. syringes per year | Healthcare savings |
| NSW | 9,650,919 | $513 million |
| Victoria | 8,165,050 | $224 million |
| South Australia | 3,156,928 | $93 million |
| Western Australia | 3,655,328 | $124 million |
| Queensland | 6,275,248 | $253 million |
| ACT | 498,952 | $11.5 million |
| Northern Territory | 382,286 | $4.2 million |
| Tasmania | 801,205 | $21 million |
The report shows that only 0.1 per cent of drug injectors are HIV positive, but 14 per cent would be if there were not needle and syringe programs throughout thousands of places in Australia.
Total government funding for NSP nationally was only $27 million a year on average. But, that has saved taxpayers more than $1.3 billion since 2000.
Anex is calling for further expansion of NSP programs because only about 50 per cent of illicit drug injections were with a sterile needle.