AU calls for coordinated approach against illicit drugs in Africa

A senior African Union (AU) official has called for a coordinated approach to prevent the manufacturing, trafficking and use of illicit drugs in Africa.

The call was made by Minata Samate Cessouma, AU commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, in addressing a recent meeting on strengthening synthetic drug supply reduction efforts toward addressing drug trafficking and advancing crime prevention, criminal justice, and the rule of law in Africa, the AU said in a press release issued Monday.

The AU commissioner underscored the crucial need in accelerating coordinated and multi-sectoral approaches to prevent illicit drug manufacturing, detect emerging drug threats, and disrupt trafficking and associated organized crime across the African continent.

While underscoring the need to exert concerted efforts in promptly addressing the impacts of illicit drugs on public safety and public health in Africa, she said the AU “has long drawn attention to the seriousness of the problem that synthetic drug use and trafficking pose for our continent.”

According to the AU, the consumption and trafficking of controlled substances have escalated in all five AU regions with the growing use of cocaine, tramadol, amphetamine-type stimulants, and new psychoactive substances, among others.

The AU said the three-day continental consultation on synthetic drug supply reduction was strategically formulated under the implementation of the AU’s Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (2019-2025), which aims to improve the health, security and socioeconomic well-being of the African people. The AU action plan mainly envisaged addressing drug trafficking and problematic drug use in all its forms and manifestations while also preventing the onset of drug use in Africa.

Addressing the meeting, Jallal Toufiq, the president of the International Narcotics Control Board, said indicators suggest a potential worsening in what concerns illicit synthetic drug manufacturing and use globally.

Despite the challenges, Toufiq highlighted existing significant potentials to enhance national, regional and global collective efforts for coordination, timely data-sharing, and use of existing systems and platforms to combat illicit synthetic drug manufacturing and use.

He reiterated the urgency of preventing drug use and ensuring access to evidence-based treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration services that respect human rights. Enditem