ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for South Asia (UNODC ROSA), in partnership with national counterparts from the drug and HIV sectors and with leading non-governmental organizations in the countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region, is implementing project RAS/H13 "Prevention of transmission of HIV among drug users in SAARC countries".

The report on the Rapid Situation and Response Assessment (RSRA) amongst drug users and their regular sex partners in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka has been developed after intensive field-based research and with feedback from counterparts and technical experts. UNODC ROSA would firstly like to thank Dr. Samiran Panda, Dr. Tarun Roy and Ms. V. Thirumagal who conceptualised the RSRA and carried out the training programmes in the region. We would also like to thank Dr. Suresh Kumar for authoring this RSRA report.

UNODC ROSA would like to acknowledge the entire team of partner NGOs and mentor agencies that carried out this research. UNODC ROSA would also like to thank national counterparts in drug demand reduction and HIV/AIDS in Bhutan (Ministry of Health), Bangladesh (Department of Narcotics Control and National AIDS/STD Programme), India (Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and National AIDS Control Organization), Nepal (Ministry of Home and Department of Health, National Centre of AIDS and STD Control) and Sri Lanka (National Dangerous Drugs Control Board and National STD/AIDS Control Programme) for their support in carrying out the RSRA.

We would also like to acknowledge our donors AusAID and DFID for their support in bringing out this review document.

From UNODC ROSA: Mr. Gary Lewis, Ms. Ashita Mittal, Dr. Anand Chaudhuri, Ms. Harsheth Virk, Dr. Vivek Jain, Ms. Shveta Aima and Ms. Lipi Chowdhury are acknowledged for their inputs and support.