Drugs Situation in Maldives #02

Injecting drug use also increases the risk of blood borne diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis. Though Maldivians are aware of HIV/AIDS, awareness of Hepatitis B and C are limited in the country. However, awareness of the diseases does not appear to have an impact on the behavior of the addicts. Safe methods are not practiced when injecting and focus group respondents report sharing needle and drug paraphernalia.

The risk of exposure to blood borne disease is further increased by the practice of unsafe sexual behaviours. Not only does the transient population in the Maldives make the country vulnerable to HIV and Hepatitis, the sexual activities of the addict population further increases this vulnerability and risk. The Maldivian population, addict or non-addict, is very sexually active with some Maldivians becoming sexually active as young as 9 years in age. However, safety is not a great concern. Since pre-marital sex is against the law in the 100% Muslim country, the term safe sex refers to ‘legal’ sex (sex after marriage) in the Maldives rather than sex using protection. Topics like sex and condoms are not discussed openly in the Maldives. Discussions with the addict population reveal various kinds of sexual activity, including pre-marital sex, group sex and homosexuality. Sexual abuse is also common in the community. Commercial sex work is carried with respondents reporting contact with commercial sex workers as well as using sex work as a source of drugs. Risk perception of these behaviours is low. Though Maldives enjoys a relatively low prevalence of HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), the risk from drug abuse is not one that can be ignored.

The stability of the country is in danger due to the increases in violence and crime. Results show a distinct increase after drug use and communication with prison officials’ reports that at least 85% of the inmates are addicts. Discussions with the inmates themselves reveal that drugs are available in the prisons. The current stringent law does not appear to act as a deterrent towards initial drug use. To provide a solution to the problem the drug law should have an increased focus on rehabilitating the addict.