Drugs and Health, and Alternative Development
The Challenge:
The use of opiates and amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) like methaphetamine continues to be a major problem in Southeast Asia, and people who use drugs are among the most severely affected population groups. Much remains to be done in order to more effectively prevent the development of drug use disorder, deliver treatment to those in need and prevent the spread of communicable diseases among people who use drugs and people in prison settings.
There is also a significant opportunity to reduce the supply of opiates by supporting alternative development (AD) projects in poppy growing areas in order to provide poor farmers with sustainable livelihoods.
What we do:
UNODC supports Member States in their drug use prevention, treatment and HIV prevention efforts. Technical support is primarily targeted at supporting the reform of drug policies toward a health-centered response and strengthening institutional capacity of the countries in the region, in particular to address problems of opiate and ATS use through evidence-based treatment and prevention approaches.
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