Two methods to estimate the population size of people who inject drugs in the country of Georgia: implications for the EECA region.

BACKGROUND

In the Eastern European country of Georgia, people who inject drugs (PWID) are disproportionately affected by both HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. In 2016, it was estimated that over 2 % of adults in Georgia engaged in injection drug use. Updated population size estimates are needed to inform the national public health response to IDU, HIV, and HCV.

METHODS

Data were from the 2022 Integrated Bio-Behavioral Surveillance Survey of PWID in Georgia. Participants were recruited from seven cities (n = 2005). Two methods were used to estimate the population size of PWID: the Network Scale-Up (NSU) method and the Multiplier Benchmark Method (MBM). The former used social network data from the general population (n = 680) to estimate the proportion of PWID in an individual's social network. The MBM used external data of PWID and a multiplier estimated from internal data to generate an estimate of the total population size of PWID for each dataset. An anchor multiplier tool was used to combine the results from the two methods.

RESULTS

The final estimate resulted in a population size of 54,342 PWID in Georgia, corresponding to a prevalence of 1.4 % among all age groups and 2.4 % among adults aged 18-64.

CONCLUSION

IDU remains a substantial challenge in Georgia, with an estimated 1.5 % of the population engaging in IDU. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions and improved engagement of PWID in prevention, treatment, and care services across the country.