Cairo, Egypt - 20 December 2023
Drug use disorders lead to changes in the brain circuits involved in feelings of reward, stress, and self-control. According to the World Drug Report 2023, most drug use disorders are related to cannabis and opioid. They are also the drugs that lead most people to seek drug treatment, but opioids remain the most lethal drug. Opioid dependence is now often compared with other chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and asthma. There are no particular “cures” for chronic diseases. Nevertheless, with appropriate long‐term therapy and medical care, together with a behavioral change in patients, it is possible to eliminate or reduce symptoms and reach high quality of life.
UNODC has been working with the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) to make such an aim a reality with rolling out of the Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) in Egypt, as a part of the regional project "HIV and AIDS Prevention, Treatment and Care Services in Prison Settings,” which is funded by Germany.
Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT), in particular Methadone and buprenorphine, is a cost‐effective effective and evidence-based intervention, which is highly recommended by WHO and UNODC for the treatment of opioid dependence and HIV prevention.
UNODC undertook a holistic approach in supporting Egypt’s provision of OAT including capacity building and trainings on latest methods of OAT implementation and the necessary overall approach needed by the relevant medical and social staff. This included applying the UNODC/WHO Operational Tool for Opioid Agonist Therapy Services that contains every detail for launching the OAT programme at the national level.
This capacity building also included connecting the MoHP teams with University of Oslo’s teams to benefit from best practices in running OAT clinics and service centers’ online monitoring systems and organizing a study visit to Spain for Egyptian authorities to enhance their knowledge on emerging OAT clinics. UNODC further provided the relevant medication and supported the enhancement of the infrastructure of OAT centers by procuring and supplying relevant equipment and electronics.
“Collaborating with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) gave us incredible power to work together toward a common vision and achieve remarkable goals. It was the fuel that helped our organization to attain uncommon results and take historical steps in our Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) project for people who use drugs,” Dr. Raghda El Gamil, Director of Addiction Treatment Administration at General Secretariat of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment at MoHP.
For a gender-specific lens, UNODC also worked with the Ministry and relevant authorities on a “Rapid Situation Assessment of women who use drugs in Egypt.”The Rapid Situation Assessment is the first of its kind and aims to bring together a review of current evidence-based practices in the field and offer practical guidance for clinicians, policymakers, and service providers working to address the complex needs of women who use drugs. It highlights the importance of a gender-responsive approach that considers women’s specific needs and experiences and provides concrete recommendations for integrating gender considerations into drug treatment and prevention efforts. It responds to an existing gap while carrying the potential of help for women who need and seek treatment for drug use.
When people are provided by ways to reduce their opioid use, they are more likely to also reduce engagement in illegal activities, reduce the likelihood of incarceration, and increase their likelihood to rebuilding their lives and of employment. All those factors together mean that OAT stabilizes patients’ lives, providing substantial benefits for patients, their families and the broader community. The OAT is currently active in a selection of hospitals during the primary roll out stage and will expand to cover multiple hospitals in Egypt. UNODC will continue working with Egypt on providing the relevant care and therapy to people who use drugs to help rebuild the lives of many people.
