Washington, Feb 24 (UNI) The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)
and the Organisation of American States (OAS) have renewed a
memorandum of understanding under which they will work
together—employing a public health perspective—to improve countries’
capacities to respond to the needs of people affected by the drug
problem.
An estimated 1 in 20 people ages 15 to 64--some 250 million
people--consumed at least one drug (opiates, cocaine, cannabis,
amphetamine-type stimulants or psychoactive substances not prescribed
by a physician) in 2014, according to the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime’s World Drug Report 2016.
The use of psychoactive substances has been recognised as an
important public health problem in the Americas, contributing
significantly to the burden of premature deaths and disability, a PAHO
release here said.
The PAHO-OAS agreement lays out collaboration on policies and
programs as part of a comprehensive approach to drug problems,
including promotion of structured information systems, facilitation of
access to integrated healthcare services, training of human resources,
promotion of research, and diffusion of scientific knowledge on the
subject.
Under the agreement, PAHO and the OAS will also support countries
in the Americas in complying with the recommendations of the United
Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem
(UNGASS 2016), which highlight the need for prevention and treatment
programs, strengthening human resources, and ensuring respect for
rights and access to controlled medications. Those recommendations were ratified by the 70th World Health Assembly in 2017 and are aligned with PAHO’s Regional Strategy and Action Plan on
Psychoactive Substance Use and Public Health, which identifies a public health response to the drug problem as a priority in national health plans.
Addressing the problematic use of psychoactive substances requires that countries’ public health systems be prepared to take action on social determinants, promote healthy lifestyles, prevent or delay the onset of drug use, mitigate the adverse effects of consumption and treat, rehabilitate and fully reintegrate problematic users using effective interventions within a framework that protects their fundamental rights.
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