Infectious diseases are one of the most serious consequences of intravenous drug use, which translates into high financial and social costs of drug addiction. At the same time the results of monitoring infectious diseases are indispensable in developing effective prevention, rehabilitation and public health strategies. This is also supported by the analysis of risky behaviours and determining their influence on the growth of infections.

The EMCDDA epidemiological indicator of Drug-related Infectious Diseases was introduced in order to reliably monitor HIV, HBV and HCV infections as well as AIDS cases among injecting drug users (IDUs). Two basic goals were defined under the drug-related infectious diseases indicator:

• to measure levels of infection (prevalence) in IDU populations,
• to monitor infection trends over time (increases or decreases in prevalence, infections in new IDU subpopulations, changes in infection prevalence among young or new intravenous drug users).

In EU Member States data are collected via the network of REITOX National Focal Points and designated national experts. The Polish National Focal Point is concerned with monitoring infectious diseases based on the data of the National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene. Nationwide data on HIV, HCV and HBV infections as well as AIDS cases related to injecting drug use are collected through diagnostic tests whose results are sent to the National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene by Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations (SANEPID) under the collective system of reporting cases of infectious diseases. Moreover, the National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene, upon commission of the National Bureau for Drug Prevention, conducts cross-sectional studies among injecting drug users which combine two methodological tools:  biological tests and a survey questionnaire. Both sources provide detailed information on injecting drug users and complement the overall control of HIV/AIDS and the reporting system of hepatitis infections.

Standard epidemiological control system of HIV infections and AIDS morbidity among drug users was established in Poland in 1985. Since then epidemiological data on registered infections have been reported.

Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations along with County and Border Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations exercise sanitary control of the Polish population. Numbers of AIDS cases and HIV infections are collected through Mz-56 reports sent by Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations under the collective system of reporting cases of infectious diseases. Data on drug-related morbidity and infections also come from individual reports corrected by the Epidemiology Department of the National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene (NIPH-NIH). Hepatitis data are reported in a similar way.

HIV infections and AIDS cases in Poland are reported by the NIPH-NIH in the form of monthly breakdowns into provinces. The information also covers AIDS-related mortality figures. The registered infections are also divided by age, gender and risk group (including injecting drug users).

Research projects into drug-related infectious diseases are also conducted by other agencies and organizations. Data are also available through the network of Consultation and Testing Sites coordinated by the National AIDS Centre.

The above sources provide detailed information on the phenomenon of drug-related infectious diseases in Poland.

More data available in National Reports (chapter "Health correlates and consequences")