FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): A public health emergency has been issued for Allen County.
The Indiana Department of Health Commissioner Jerome Adams issued the emergency in order to establish a syringe services program (SSP). The swap will begin in early November to help stop the spread of hepatitis C.
“By implementing a syringe exchange in conjunction with testing, referrals to treatment and enrollment in health insurance, Allen County is taking steps to reduce the harm caused by substance abuse and improve the health of its communities,” said Adams.
It’s noted that no state funding is used to support syringe exchange programs.
The Department of Health, including community partners Positive Resource Connection and Park Center, will open the SSP at 519 Oxford Street in Fort Wayne. They’ll provide new, clean needles as well as provide free HIV and hepatituis C testing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that a syringe services program is an effective way to minimize transmission of hepatitis C and HIV.
Last year, discussions started to establish a local SSP in Allen County. The plan was approved today.
1 comment
I like this idea, we cannot make them quit if they don’t want to. But at least we can slow the process of diseases in our area.Then hopefully one day they will seek help and guess what Narcotics Anonymous will be there for them. myself and a lot of others are involved in the N.A. program and have some clean time between us all. Myself i celebrated 1 year clean the 4th of this month. I truly beleive if it wasn’t for the people and the program of N.A. i would not be here today. I to have HIV,which i take medicine for and the Hep- C was taken care of with that new medicine they got out now, forgot the name. But they have to stop using before all this medicine they have out now to help with HIV, and HEP-c to work.I beleive there needs to be more education about the disease which is what we have. Drugs are just a symptom of our problem, the real problem is inside each and everyone of us and NA helps to deal with that.