“Her mother was a sex-worker. One of her mother’s favorite clients raped her in her mother’s absence, given his status with her mother, she couldn’t address it openly which led her to start using cannabis, and after meeting local users, she started taking heroin, hoping to overdose, but as she told me: she never succeeded.
Another case was the son of a Mwami (traditional leader) whose son started using heroin to address lingering childhood trauma. As the heir to the throne his dependency was never addressed, instead he was “protected”, his issues taboo. His father sent him abroad to study, but nothing helped. When he came to the hospital we tried treating his symptoms, but he kept relapsing.
“My father is a Pastor, and my mother organizes women’s groups. I consult with them for advice on how to bring people in. My father always told me, healing starts with reaching out to the other. Always. I changed his slogan into saving the other. They have always supported me, never pushing me into a direction that wasn’t my own and I try to apply that to the clubs.
Eastern Congo is home to multiple armed conflicts. What we are facing with drug use is a silent attack on our youth, no less deadly and damaging than armed conflict.
Drug trafficking and harm reduction are not a priority for the government nor the international community, focusing rather on the conflict. As such we lack the essentials of medical treatment. Given the DRC’s geographic location, with the Swahili coast where heroin enters the continent, paramilitary groups facilitating traffic and our lack of regulation at the borders, substances are easily accessible, and we risk losing an entire generation to drug use. Because even if the conflict ended tomorrow, we would not have the means to address the surge in post conflict use.
We need policies that help us address trafficking, use and reintegration. We need to focus on prevention and addressing trauma early. You can’t wait for someone to be 18 and addicted to resolve childhood issues. We need more awareness, especially given the realities of Eastern Congo.”
In efforts to enhance public health across Africa, the UNODC focuses on several key strategies. These include bolstering data collection and analysis capabilities, strengthening responses to drug trafficking, and improving initiatives for drug and HIV prevention, treatment, and care. Additionally, the UNODC aims to facilitate better access to and medical utilization of controlled medicines containing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Another critical objective is to safeguard populations from counterfeit medical products. Through these multifaceted approaches, the UNODC strives to promote a balanced and effective drug control framework that positively impacts health outcomes throughout the region.