Indiana governor extends needle-exchange program to curb HIV

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Monday extended a needle-exchange program to help a county in the Midwestern state combat an HIV outbreak.

Pence approved a 30-day extension of a March 26 executive order declaring a public health emergency in Scott County.

State health officials say there are more than 120 confirmed cases of HIV. Ten preliminary HIV cases have yet to be confirmed.

Officials say the cases are linked to intravenous drug use. Scott County typically sees about five HIV cases each year.

Health officials, who declared an epidemic last month, expect the number of cases to rise as more people are tested.

“We haven’t reached the peak yet, we don’t know where that peak will be, but we are hopeful it will be soon,” Jennifer Walthall, Indiana’s Deputy State Health Commissioner, told Al Jazeera last week. 

Pence opposes needle exchanges as part of anti-drug policy but allowed the Scott County program under his executive order. He said Monday that efforts to fight the outbreak must continue. 

The Indiana outbreak is unique because officials say all cases have been tied to intravenous drug use. Initial cases were diagnosed after people injected themselves with the powerful painkiller Opana, which contains the narcotic oxymorphone, officials said. 

People have also become infected after injecting other drugs including methamphetamine, officials said.

Since Pence approved the temporary needle exchange, 5,322 clean syringes have been provided to 86 program participants, health officials said Friday. About 1,400 used syringes have been returned.

Al Jazeera and wire services