RESEARCH
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THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Now in its 30th year, the Unlinked
Anonymous Monitoring Survey is a vital
tool for harm reduction, says Emily Phipps
This year the Unlinked
Anonymous Monitoring
Survey (UAM) of people
who inject drugs
celebrates its 30th
anniversary in England and Wales
and 18th anniversary in Northern
Ireland, making it the longest
running annual survey of this
cohort in the world.
Coordinated by Public Health
England (PHE), the survey consists
of a self-completed questionnaire
and biological sample that is
anonymously tested for HIV,
hepatitis B and hepatitis C to
monitor trends in blood-borne
viruses (BBVs) and behaviours that
impact transmission, such as needle
sharing, testing and treatment
uptake. No identifiable information
is collected, and the survey or test
result cannot be traced back to
an individual, making it easier for
us to ask questions about risky
behaviours that might otherwise go
unanswered.
The UAM is a powerful tool for
advocacy and service planning,
both nationally and locally. Each
centre undertaking more than
thirty surveys each year is provided
with a free, detailed report of their
responses to help them understand
what the key priorities for their
clients are. Nationally, the report
feeds in to key annual publications
such as Shooting up and Hepatitis
C in the UK. The survey data is
also shared internationally with
the World Health Organization
and European Centre for Disease
Control to support global BBV
elimination initiatives.
In current times, championing
the needs of people who inject
drugs and ensuring continued
access to services is incredibly
important. There are valid concerns
that reduced uptake of BBV testing
and difficulties in delivering the
same level of needle and syringe
provision during the pandemic will
lead to an increase in infections
among this group. The UAM, now
more than ever, is an essential tool
for understanding the impact of
COVID-19 on people who inject
drugs, and to keep track of progress
as services recover.
The UAM team would like to
say a huge thank you to all of
our volunteers and participants
who have been undertaking the
survey during the last few difficult
months – the data you have
collected is absolutely vital. If you
would like to join the UAM survey,
or have taken part previously and
would like to restart, the UAM
team would love to hear from you.
Every survey completed is a hugely
valuable source of information
on this population group who are
otherwise often under-represented
in policy and statistics. For further
information, please contact Claire
Edmundson, at claire.edmundson@
phe.gov.uk.
Dr Emily Phipps is consultant
epidemiologist at the National
Infection Service, PHE. She prepared
this work with Megan Bardsley,
HIV/STI surveillance and prevention
scientist, and Claire Edmundson,
senior scientist, at PHE
‘We have had a phenomenal
number of responses to
the Unlinked Anonymous
Monitoring Survey, which
provides us with a wealth of
information about our clients
– the addition of a finger-prick
test for the anonymous blood
sample part gives us another
opportunity to offer diagnostic
testing. Through this testing
done alongside the survey, we have picked up 47 cases
of hepatitis C that we may not have done otherwise.’
Louise Hansford, regional hepatitis C elimination
co-ordinator for the South of England
8 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • JULY/AUGUST 2020
WWW.DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS.COM