25 June 2024, Islamabad - UNODC and Pakistan's Ministry of Narcotics Control recently reached an important milestone towards improving drug treatment services by successfully concluding a capacity building project for drug treatment professionals between 2018-2024 as part of Sub-Programme III: Demand Reduction and HIV/AIDS Prevention under their Country Programme III (2022-2025).
Drug use disorders often follow an incessant and progressive course, necessitating long-term interventions backed by evidence. Recognizing this, UNODC has assisted Pakistan in expanding ethical, effective, accessible treatment services aligned with international standards - strengthening treatment professionals is integral in providing high quality care to those struggling with substance use disorders.
At the core of this initiative was a series of training sessions on the Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC), attended by drug treatment professionals from the four provinces of Pakistan. Participants engaged in comprehensive capacity-building courses designed to increase technical expertise. Topics addressed during these courses ranged from substance physiology and pharmacology; continuum care delivery models; co-occurring mental and medical disorders, basic counseling skills training; screening assessment treatment planning case administration management as well as professional ethics.
Between January and June 2024, UNODC ran eight training sessions in Peshawar and Quetta that provided vital knowledge and skills training sessions to 61 professionals from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. For added reinforcement of learning, UNODC organized five refresher sessions during May that helped further prepare 186 professionals to sit the International Certified Addiction Professional (ICAP) exams.
Out of 171 professionals taking ICAP exams, 88 passed successfully and joined Pakistan's growing network of accredited addiction treatment specialists - marking a significant step toward providing those struggling with drug use disorders with access to top-quality, evidence-based treatment services.
UNODC and Pakistan's Ministry of Narcotics Control are working towards an enhanced drug treatment framework in Pakistan that prioritizes health, safety and rehabilitation of affected individuals as well as their families through investing in capacity building efforts.
