Project Title:  MMT CARE for HIV Prevention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

China’s methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) program is expanding rapidly to address a critical link between drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. This project uses a combination prevention approach to respond to the urgent need for improved quality of services at clinics, provider-client interactions, and client treatment outcomes.

Targeted Group:  MMT service providers and clients

Geographical Location:  Sichuan, Guangdong, Shanxi, Jiangsu,China

Intervention Model:  MMT CARE

 Research methods:  The trial will be conducted in 68 MMT clinics in 4 provinces, with 6 providers and 36 clients from each clinic (total = 408 service providers; 2,448 clients). The outcomes for both providers and clients will be assessed at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24-month follow-ups.

Local Significance:  China’s methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) program is expanding rapidly to address a critical link between drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. However, it faces multiple challenges, including a high dropout rate, high concurrent drug use, and a gap between clients’ needs and service providers’ skills. Collected data will form the foundation of an evidence-based intervention that can be delivered to over 700 MMT clinics in China.

International Significance:  Injecting drug use is a hidden dimension of the global HIV epidemic. This project uses a combination prevention approach to respond to the urgent need for improved quality of services at clinics, provider-client interactions, and client treatment outcomes. The intervention will potentially serve as a successful model for harm reduction programs in other countries.