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UNODC trains health professionals on addiction and substance abuse |10 April 2018

About 20 health professionals are undergoing a training-of-trainers on pharmacotherapy and psychosocial interventions organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The five-day training is being held at the Coral Strand Hotel in collaboration with the Agency for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation (APDAR) and was launched yesterday by the secretary of state for Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation Dr Patrick Herminie.

Officers from social affairs, probation services and APDAR are the main participants of the workshop being facilitated by Dr Claude Uehlinger and Leckraz Boyjoonauth of the Treatnet organisation which is co-ordinating the workshop.

The purpose of the training is to introduce new techniques which can be used to implement and improve recovery programmes on screening, assessment and treatment for drug-dependent persons training.

Dr Herminie said for the past 20 years Seychelles has been facing the growing issue of drugs as heroine is running rampant on our streets.

“This can be confirmed by the recent respondent driven survey which highlights the fact that there are between 4500-5000 category IV drug users. The vast majority of them ranges from 18 to 45 years old accounting for 10% of the workforce,” he said.

He noted that the incidence of Hepatitis C and HIV/Aids are rocketing and crime is on a high rise as a result of drug addiction.

“Today, 800 drug users or clients await their turn to enter programmes for treatments and with only one detox centre which houses only three doctors, five nurses and two psychologists. Shortage of staff is impeding the agency from fulfilling its mandate,”  Dr Herminie said.

He said it is only through credible evidence-based prevention strategies that we can hope to curb the heroin epidemic by delaying the uptake of drugs or preventing its use altogether among our youths.

“What we need to do is build resilience, instil emotional intelligence and empower them so that they can be more self-disciplined and have self-control. As a medical practitioner, I know from training and experience that capacity building is the way forward if we are to make a significant difference in the fight against drugs,” he said.

During his welcoming remarks, Dr Hussein Manji of UNODC’s health and social development pillar said that UNODC firmly believes in the importance of building national capacity under the Regional Programme 2016-2021 with the main objective of enhancing the rule of law and human security across the Eastern Africa region.

“The regional programme further serves as a framework for action to support member states in achieving the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he said.

The five thematic pillars of the regional programme are: Pillar I - countering transnational organised crime and trafficking; Pillar II - countering corruption; Pillar III - terrorism prevention; Pillar IV - crime prevention and criminal justice; Pillar V - prevention of drug use, treatment and care of drug use disorders and HIV and Aids prevention and care.

“The objective of Pillar V is to promote and support the adoption and implementation of comprehensive, evidence-based, gender and youth responsive national and regional responses addressing drug use and HIV prevention, treatment, care and support,” he said.

Dr Manji said that UNODC will also support the implementation of Volume C and the development of the new Drug and Alcohol Control Master plan in Seychelles.

On his part, Mr Raj Boyjoonauth said at the end of the week the participants will be more empowered and confident with the thirst for more knowledge which will motivate them to not only treat drug dependent persons but also to stay in this line of work while sharing their knowledge with others.

“The aim is to give people knowledge and skills and also to change their attitude and mindset on how to treat drug users. The new knowledge they receive they can then impart to others so that by the end of the day one can train another and we have a pyramid effect.. to not only get across health professionals but also those working in education, employment and law enforcement,” he said.

The psychologist-in-charge at APDAR, Mona Benoition, said the training will help empower them to deliver a better quality of service no matter how many drug users or clients need their services.

She said a new low thrush-hold programme will be introduced this month where the clients will receive a safer treatment than methadone.

 

 

 

 

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