Implementation of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid users in Asia has been slow to develop and is currently under-researched in the international drug policy field. On the basis of a systematic literature review and expert interviews, this article explores the barriers and facilitators in provision of MAT in Central Asian countries and Public's Republic China. To review the dynamics since 2011, we conducted a systematic literature review to complement informal expert interviews,

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... synthesize our results with the available statistical data and grey literature. Our review includes 42 selected articles and reports, and maps out the recent developments in MAT and related research in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. The implications of this study suggest a need for future research to design better methods for successful scaling-up of access and integration of MAT for opioid users.