Fight against drugs 2024-2030 National Plan adopted

The Inspector General of Pharmaceutical Services and Laboratories, Dr Solange Kouakap, on behalf of the Minister of Public Health, chaired the final adoption meeting of the National Drug Control Plan 2024-2030 in Yaoundé on 4 July 2024.

According to the National Institute of Statistics (INS), in the GATS survey report, about 1.1 million Cameroonians use tobacco, representing 13.9% of men and 4.3% of women in the general population. The average age of initiation of daily smoking is around 18.5 years. Moreover, 15% of adults who had already smoked daily had started before the age of 15 in urban areas, compared with 5.3% in rural areas. The abuse of illicit substances and psychotropic painkillers (tramadol and cannabis) is observed in all regions of the country. To remedy this situation, the Minister of Public Health, Dr Malachie Manaouda, chaired the final adoption meeting of the National Plan to Combat Drugs 2024-2030 in Yaoundé on 4 July 2024.

The overall objective is to significantly reduce the supply and use of drugs in Cameroon by 2030. To achieve this, 4 strategic areas have been defined. We need to reduce people’s exposure to drugs, reduce the supply of illicit drugs in the country and improve the control of legal drugs. To be more effective, a human rights approach needs to be incorporated into anti-drug strategies and policies; control and repression need to be improved at all levels; mechanisms need to be developed to combat household insecurity and to retrain people involved in illicit drug trafficking; control and access to medicines/inputs containing narcotics and psychotropic substances for medical purposes need to be improved.

Strategic priority 2: Reducing the demand for drugs. People must be encouraged to reduce their use of drugs. We need to improve the prevention of drug use, improve the management of cases of drug addiction, strengthen prevention capacities at all levels, develop mechanisms for the direct and indirect management of cases and organise the reintegration of cases. Strategic priority 3: Reducing the risks and harm associated with drug use. Improve the prevention and treatment of HIV, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis associated with drug use. Reduce new HIV and viral hepatitis infections attributable to drug use; improve care for drug users living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis. Strengthen communication on the risks associated with drug use and community involvement (CREC); develop mechanisms to reduce the risks of the spread of STIs, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis by drug users.

Strategic priority 4: Reorganise the institutional response to the fight against drugs. Improve the performance of the institutional response, improve the effectiveness of the implementation of the NSP-Drugs, improve the effectiveness of the fight against drugs at all levels. Strengthening the institutional framework for the fight against drugs, building the capacity of players at all levels, decentralising the fight against drugs, strengthening coordination and multi-sectoral monitoring and evaluation of the fight against drugs. Strengthening funding mechanisms for the fight against drugs; strengthening international cooperation; strengthening research into the fight against drugs and strengthening national epidemiological surveillance of drug use, production and trafficking.

According to the Ministry of Public Health’s communication unit, the care centres are located in category 2 and 3 hospitals. To date, the CSAPAs have received a total of 2057 patients, including 932 old patients and 1125 new patients. 47 patients were aged under 15, of whom 26 were male and 21 female; 308 patients were aged between 15 and 19, of whom 278 were male and 30 female; 679 patients were aged between 20 and 24, of whom 623 were male and 56 female; 420 patients were aged between 25 and 29, of whom 378 were male and 42 female; 228 patients are aged between 30 and 34, of whom 205 are male and 23 female; 135 patients are aged between 35 and 39, of whom 111 are male and 24 female; 211 patients are aged 40 and over, of whom 182 are male and 29 female, according to the Minsanté communications unit.

Elvis Serge NSAA