Table 2.
Opioid substitution therapy in selected South-East Asia Region countries: start date, numbers, linkages, compulsory/court mandated, modality.
| Country | Year first trialled, started OST | Key responsible agencies for OST | No. OST sites (2010-2012) |
No. receiving OST (2009-2012) |
OST service links with other health services | OST service has links with non-health services | Compulsory or court mandated treatment exists | Modality of OST delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 2010 - M | ICDDR,B with funding support from UNODC | 2 - M | 188 | Based in govt detox clinic, where several psychiatrists provide support as and when needed. The OST clinic is also linked to ICDDR, B voluntary counseling testing unit | No - but plans underway | No | Government |
| India | 1993 - B 2011 - M | MoH, Ministry of Social Justice, Empowerment, & National AIDS Control Office | 120 - B 4 - M |
7500 - B 350 - M | Weak to good links | Weak to good links | No | Government & NGO |
| Indonesia | 2001 - B 2003 - M | MoH for methadone. Private practitioners dispense buprenorphine following training Largely unsupervised by Moh | 68 - M ? - B (50 doctors trained in buprenorphine dispensing |
2540 - M 3000 B | Weak links | Weak Links | No | Government & Private |
| Maldives | 2008 - M | Moh | 1 - M | 57 - M | No | No | No | Government |
| Myanmar | 2004 - M | Department of Health - medical care | 13 - M | 1637 - M | Weak to good links | Weak to good links | Yes | Government |
| Nepal | 1994 - M | Ministry of Home Affairs, UNODC, Hospitals, NGOs (not part of official government programs) | 3 - M | 386 - M 175 - B | Overall weak links but some sites have good links but with constraints | Overall weak links but some sites have good links | No | Government & NGO |
| Thailand | 1979 - M 2007 - B | Thanyarak Institute of the Department of Medical Services, under the Ministry of Public Health | 147 - M ? - B |
1183 - M ? - B |
Fully integrated (most OST services attached within health care settings) | Weak links | Yes | Regional drug treatment centers (of the Department of Medical Services) & Govt Hospitals |
OST, opioid substitution therapy; B, Buprenorphine; M, Methadone; ICDDR,B, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh; MoH, Ministry of Health.