On Thursday, health commissioner of Indiana announced that a one-year needle-exchange program has been approved in the state. According to thecommissioner, Dr. Jerome Adams, the needle-exchange program has received the approval for a rural county of the state which is currently the center of the state’s largest HIV outbreak. As per some reports, the epidemic was driven by needle-sharingamong the intravenous drug users.

The program has been approved for Scott County in Indiana. According to Adams, the approval by him includes a public health emergency declaration that will allow officials to operate needle exchange program through May 24 next year. The reports stated that the needle exchange program is currently under an executive order signed by Indiana’s governor,Mike Pence. The order is expected to expire on Sunday.

The southeastern countyis the first country in the state to get approval for a needle exchange under a new state law. According to the law, needle exchange is possible if a community proves it’s facing an epidemic that is driven by intravenous drug use.

Pam Pontones, who is a state epidemiologist, revealed on Thursday that more than 150 people have been tested positive for HIV since December last year. As per the reports, most of the people had injected a liquefied form of the painkiller Opana. Approximately every case is of Scott County, which usually has five cases of HIV every year.

On Thursday, the Indiana health commissioner confirmed before the United States House’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations that the opioid issueplaguedthat the nation requires a multipronged approach. He said,“Officials need to address issues such as homelessness, hunger, access to health insurance, and integration into society after incarceration, along with access to education and jobs.”