African doctors unite to fight drug abuse
(CZI)
MEDICAL practitioners from various African countries have pledged to intensify their efforts to address the harm reduction challenges that the continent faces in its fight against drug abuse.
Drug abuse is a serious problem that affects many people in the continent, and the doctors from across the continent, Zimbabwe included, last week on Thursday agreed to share best practices and collaborate on innovative solutions to prevent and treat drug-related harms.
Presenting during the Harm Reduction Exchange 2023 Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya last week, Kenyan public health specialist, Dr Vivian Manyeki, said while progress has been made in terms of health strategies, alcohol, tobacco and drug use remain major public health challenges in Africa, thereby requiring urgent harm reduction approaches.
“Some of the major progress recorded include a strengthened disease surveillance and emergency response capacity across Africa as well as the decline of new HIV infections in Sub-Saharan Africa. They have declined by 44 percent in the last 10 years due to increased testing and treatment,” she said.
Dr Manyeki spoke about the challenges and gaps in harm reduction services in Africa, which aim to reduce the negative consequences of drug and substance abuse.
She said many harm reduction programmes lack adequate funding and policy support, which limits their ability to scale-up and reach more people who need them.
“Existing harm reduction services face barriers to scaling-up coverage and reaching more people in need due to lack of funding and policy support. As a result, many people struggling with addiction are unable to access or afford evidence-based treatment programs.”
Dr Manyeki said stigma and policy barriers prevent many people with substance use disorders from accessing or affording evidence-based treatment programmes, which are essential for their recovery.
“Stigma and policy barriers must be addressed to improve access to life-saving interventions. Negative attitudes and discrimination against people with substance use disorders create barriers to treatment and recovery. Stigma towards people who use drugs and discrimination remain significant obstacles to implementing harm reduction programmes in many countries,” she said.
Dr Manyeki also called for more awareness and compassion towards people who struggle with addiction, and for more investment and advocacy for harm reduction services.
The event featured presentations from experts on the current situation of drug use and harm reduction in the region, as well as the challenges and opportunities for advancing the harm reduction agenda.
Africa Medical Association and the Association of Medical Councils of Africa president, Dr Kgosi Letlape reiterated the need for African countries to advocate for the adoption of harm reduction policies and programmes that are aligned with human rights and the dignity of people who use drugs.
He said as doctors, they are committed to continue their efforts to tackle harm reduction challenges across the continent.
He challenged African governments to enact laws that will enhance the availability and dissemination of adequate information on the harms of dangerous substances.
“There is a need for legal frameworks that
UNDP promote public awareness and education on the dangers of such harmful products as has been emphasized by experts. This is because such products pose serious health risks to the users and the public, and require effective regulation and control.
“We hope that our work as doctors from across Africa will contribute to reducing the harms associated with drug use, improving the health and well-being of people who use drugs and their families, and creating a substance abuse free society,” he said.
A Zimbabwean doctor who is also the principal of Integra Africa, Dr Tendai Mhizha challenged the media to join the fight against drug and substance abuse and help address the challenges of misinformation and disinformation in the context of harm reduction.
“The media has a vital role in promoting the adoption of harm reduction approaches in all areas of health across the continent. As technology advances, we face the problem of misinformation and disinformation spreading more easily with the diversification of the information sources. Therefore, we need to ensure that stakeholders have access to accurate and updated information about the science, the developments and the way forward to a drug-free world,” she said.
Drug abuse is a serious public health and security problem in Zimbabwe, affecting many young people and their families.
The most commonly abused drugs include alcohol, marijuana, crystal meth (mutoriro) and broncleer, a cough syrup containing codeine.
These drugs can cause various physical, psychological and social harms.
To address this problem, doctors from across the continent have been working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network (ZCLDN) and other partners to implement the Zimbabwe National Drug Master Plan (ZNDMP) (2020-2025).
ZNDMP is based on the African Union Plan of Action 2021-2023, which emphasises the need for supply reduction, harm reduction, demand reduction, treatment and rehabilitation of people who use drugs, as well as community reintegration.
ZNDMP also offers an integrated and comprehensive approach that covers a range of drug related issues, such as prevention, education, law enforcement, health care, human rights and social welfare.