Experts canvass opioid substitution therapy to reduce drug use

Health experts have advocated opioid substitution therapy in stabilising individuals and reducing the harm associated with drug use during the public health approach to drug control in the country.

They also called for policies that prioritise care, highlight the human impact of substance use and understand the health dimension of drug use, as well as ensure safety and respect for the rights of people living with drugs, especially their right to health.

The experts spoke at the media sensitisation programme organised by the Department of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with Youthrise Nigeria in Abuja, where the Director of Public Health in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Chukwuma Anyaike, called for the enactment of a comprehensive public health centred legal framework to address drug use, particularly injectable drugs to control the spread of HIV, hepatitis C, and other Infections.

The National Drug Use Survey (UNODC 2018) shows 14. 4 per cent of Nigerians representing 14.3 million people aged 15-64 have used drugs for non-medical purposes- a figure which is about three times higher than the 5.6 per cent global average. It revealed that three million of the drug-use population is dependent on drugs.

Anyaike stated that the 1999 constitution recognises drug addiction as a health issue and lamented that Nigeria has applied an unbalanced drug control approach skewed towards drug supply reduction to the detriment of a comprehensive health sector response.

He emphasised that this not only hinders access to evidence-based drug use prevention and drug dependency treatment but has also led to unprecedented public health crisis with HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C among people who inject drugs at a prevalence of 9.2 per cent, 5.1 per cent, 7.8 per cent, and 3.3 per cent respectively.

Anyaike noted that the Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance (IBBSS 2020) report showed an increase in HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs from 3.4 per cent in 2014 to 10 per cent in 2020, stressing that Nigeria must align its drug control response to the 2009 Commission on Narcotics Political Declaration and Plan of Action to effectively address and counter the world drug problem.

He said the World Health Organisation recommends a health sector response hinged on a public health approach with critical components such as prevention of drug use and addressing vulnerability and risks, treatment and care for people living with drug use disorders, treatment and care for people with drug use disorders, harm reduction for people who use drugs and access to controlled medicines among others.

He said: “We are optimistic that Nigeria can and will get a good grip on the epidemic drug use in the country, but it will require the collaborative effort of us all, working together in adopting an Integrated, evidence-based, multidisciplinary, mutually reinforcing, balanced and comprehensive response as represented by the Public health approach to drug control.”

Also speaking, a Consultant at YouthRise Nigeria, Nonso Maduka, who highlighted the need for a comprehensive public health response to drug use in the country, said that Nigeria has shifted from being a drug transit hub to a major consumer, saying that there is a huge health risk associated with drug use, especially the reuse of needles, which leads to viral and bacterial infections.

He noted that opioid substitution therapy is crucial in stabilising individuals and reducing the harm associated with drug use and stressed the need for therapeutic responses instead of punitive actions.

Maduka also addressed the stigma and discrimination that impede drug treatment efforts, as well as the absence of comprehensive drug legislation in Nigeria.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of YouthRise, Oluwafesayo Alao, observed that the approach to substance use impacts the lives of millions of people, adding that the workshop marks an essential step in the journey towards building a compassionate, and effective response grounded in public health principles.

He explained that by developing a comprehensive legal framework focused on health rather than punishment, we could better protect the well-being of individuals, families, and communities.