Share & more
The first ministerial meeting organised by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on drug control in Africa will be held on 6-11 May in the Ivorian capital, Yamoussoukro, the UN International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) announced last week.
The ministers will review a proposed drug control strategy developed by African experts and UNDCP, and commit their governments to more decisive action against drug trafficking and abuse.
”Growing drug trafficking, related organised crime, and its destabilising impact on the young democratisation, stability and development process in Africa, are still neglected phenomena," UNDCP said in a news release on 16 April. "With Africa having turned into a transit and re-distribution point for, inter-alia, cocaine from Latin America and heroin from Asia, local consumption is also rising. Several countries report growing heroin abuse.”
It added: “Initial research in major cities, like Nairobi or Lagos, suggests that the link between drug abuse and HIV/AIDS is stronger than hitherto believed. Growing drug abuse and injection could become another contributor to HIV/AIDS in Africa.”
Areas covered by the proposed strategy include the demand for illicit drugs, drug abuse reduction and law enforcement. “The sharing of experience and knowledge gained by Western experts, in particular the NGOs and civil society, in their drug abuse prevention and rehabilitation programmes will enable African counterparts to protect their youth - that is more than 50% of the almost 800 million Africans - from growing abuse problems,” UNDCP said.
UNDCP collaborates with several African governments in projects against drug abuse and trafficking. Its 2002-2003 programme portfolio is almost US $15 million.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions