Donor Conference in support of the Joint UNODC/WHO Programme on Drug Dependence Treatment and Care
At the invitation of the Netherlands’ Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, the SC Chairman, Massimo Barra, attended the Conference of Donors supporting the WHO – UNODC Joint Program on Drug Dependence Treatment Care (The Hague, February 10, 2010).
Around fifty experts from Ministries, Directors General, National experts responsible for fighting against drugs have taken part in the Conference from all over the world.
The purpose of the Conference was to spread the latest scientific evidence on the treatment of drug users, seeking resources to strengthen suitable intervention strategies.
Drug consumption is increasing throughout the world and is considered one of the top 20 health risks, whereas the availability of proper treatments covers only 10% of the actual needs.
In his intervention, Massimo Barra, who attended the Conference in the framework of the follow up of Decision 29 of the 25th International Conference (1986), congratulated the WHO and UNODC on having provided a common initiative for a humanitarian policy on drugs. He declared that it is unacceptable that in many parts of the world treatment does not respect basic human rights, as if drug users were nothing but second class individuals.
During the Conference, unanimous consensus was reached on the following points:
| • |
addiction is a brain disease;
|
| • |
patients’ needs should be at the core of any intervention;
|
| • |
the need for nothing else apart for what it is expected for the treatment and the care of other diseases;
|
| • |
detoxification alone is not a treatment and can even be a dangerous practice;
|
| • |
the need for pragmatic, evidence-based, ethical treatments, respecting human rights of patients;
|
| • |
health-oriented treatments;
|
| • |
proven cost-effectiveness of substitutive treatments and other harm reduction practices;
|
| • |
the need to inform and mobilize public opinion and local authorities in order to overcome several prejudices and false opinions and to launch well-known effective programs of intervention all over the world.
|
Finally, commenting on the results of the Conference in the Movement’s perspective, Massimo Barra declared: “I think that time has come to update and implement the role of our Movement on that topic, bringing the issue to the attention of the next International Conference”.
Statement by Dr. Massimo Barra
Chairman of the Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, at the Donor conference in support of the Joint UNODC/WHO Programme on Drug Dependence Treatment and Care.
The Hague, the Netherlands. February 10th , 2010
|
 |
| English |
|
|
