Regional Flagship Initiative: accelerating public health access to substance use

Regional Flagship Initiative: accelerating public health access to substance use

1. Dr Khalid Saeed Regional Advisor, Mental, Neurological and Substance use WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Regional flagship initiative​

2.   6.7% prevalence of any illicit drug use in the Region 8/22 countries have OAMT * available Only 5 countries have screening and brief interventions available Only 1 in 13 people in need receive treatment in the Region 50% Have naloxone available but with restricted distribution Problem statement *OAMT stands for opioid agonist maintenance treatment 

3. Objectives 3 To prevent the initiation of drug use To reduce morbidity and mortality To increase availability and access to services ​

4. 4 Provide targeted guidance and support based on context, needs and resources To strengthen n ational and transnational coordination and collaboration Focus on delivering a set of evidence-based interventions: Policy and regulation Promotion and prevention Health system interventions Approach

5. 5 Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Regional network of centres of excellence and civil society organizations Regional drug use observatory 2025 Review and development of multisectoral policies and laws Stop Overdose Safely (S-O-S) in 5 Member States International treatment and prevention standards implementation packs 2026 Roadmap

6. 6 Drug courts and services for incarcerated populations in 6 Member States Essential medicines in 5 Member States Screening and brief interventions in 30% of primary health care facilities and general hospitals in 6 Member States 2027 8 Member States have an updated national multisectoral drug use action plan Addiction medicine specialization in collaboration with the Arab and national boards in 7 Member States National observatories in 5 Member States 202 8 Roadmap

7. 7 Key targets Reduce morbidity and mortality Prevent initiation Increase availability and access S-O-S 90-90-90 target achieved Prevention programmes available in all Member States 20% increase in treatment coverage By 2029

8. To deliver on the ambitious goals and targets we need political commitment, and financial and institutional resources Substance use is a multidimensional issue and needs a coordinated collective response The time to act is now!