Ms. Miwa Kato currently serves as the Director of the Division for Operations at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). She oversees field-based technical assistance carried out by 1,800 personnel working across the globe, supporting the Member States and actors deal with the challenges of rule of law, criminality, and justice. She is also focused on strategically adapting UNODC’s fieldwork to a more holistic, integrated, and impact-oriented delivery of the UN.
In commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Ms. Kato shares her remarks on the importance of reliable and verifiable scientific information, along with some key points of the World Drug Report 2021, and the role of ‘Listen First’ in supporting families and children around the globe.
What is the significance of the theme of this year’s World Drug Day: “Share Facts On Drugs. Save Lives.”?
Past experiences, including COVID-19, have taught us that we cannot tackle global health issues without accurate, scientific information that can explain causes and direct us towards potential solutions. Access to reliable and verifiable information can make the difference between life and death, as was seen with the effectiveness of preventive measures taken against COVID-19 to prevent infections and slow transmission.
In light of this, the theme for World Drug Day 2021 is “Share Facts On Drugs. Save Lives.” It accentuates the importance of trustworthy, scientific information that influences health choices, especially those that may impact drug use and decisions to participate in effective prevention activities or seek treatment services. At a higher level, it is also a call for fact-based approaches in equipping the public, health and service providers, and policymakers with the tools to reject misinformation and leverage science in addressing drug problems.
The World Drug Day was also commemorated with the launch of the 2021 World Drug Report. What are some critical facts that should be addressed in order to effectively address the world drug problem?
The key findings from the World Drug Report 2021 will support the development of informed policy and strategic responses. One key finding is that the number of drug users in Africa is projected to rise by 40% in 2030. This surge is particularly pronounced in Africa because the population is younger, and drug use is higher in young people. In response, the UNODC Strategic Vision for Africa has been developed to provide an integrated, people-centered, and human-rights-based approach to invest in health and support effective responses to drug trafficking and drug use. Regular monitoring and strong partnerships will also be needed to support the African continent in reversing this trend.
The report also highlights the adaptations that the world has made in response to COVID-19 to continue care and interventions for those receiving drug use prevention and treatment services. Services that were usually given face-to-face had to be transformed to web-based technologies and mobile phones. While such modalities have great potential to increase the acceptability and coverage of services, even during the post-COVID pandemic era, they still require an urgent investment in researching their efficacy, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Recommendations for internet-based services will also need to consider the different levels of IT literacy and access across the globe to ensure equal access.
The 2021 World Drug Report highlights how COVID-19 has impacted drug use prevention and treatment service modalities. How has COVID-19 affected UNODC’s implementation of global programmes and projects related to drug use prevention and treatment services around the world?
Even during the challenging times of COVID-19, UNODC continued to support Member States in establishing and expanding evidence-based drug prevention and treatment and providing training to professionals, service providers, and people with drug use disorders. To protect trainers and participants from the risk of infection of COVID-19, many training courses have had to move to virtual settings. Nevertheless, UNODC successfully supported 21 countries with family skills training and life skills education in schools, reaching 5,000 children and caregivers and training 900 facilitators, teachers and trainers. Also, more than 130 policymakers from Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mexico, and Ukraine were trained on the nature of drug use, drug use disorders, and their prevention and treatment based on science-based, human rights, and gender considerations. UNODC capacity-building and training on treatment of drug use disorders reached 10,000 professionals and service providers, and 67,000 people with drug use disorders, which included capacity-building for specialized services for children, women and pregnant women.
UNODC continued to support youth during the pandemic through the Youth Initiative and Drug Abuse Prevention Centre grants, aiding 4,500 youth in delivering evidence-based prevention in their communities. The Youth Forum 2021 was also held virtually, bringing together 62 youth from 41 countries, who then jointly presented a statement during the 64th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. To support families and children enduring the impact of COVID-19, UNODC launched 10 new materials for the ‘Listen First’ initiative, designed to strengthen family skills and help provide caregiving familial support for children and youth during these stressful times. Since the launch of the new materials in November 2020, ‘Listen First’ has reached more than 5.6 million people globally.
Coming back to this year’s theme for World Drug Day on the role of science and saving lives, how can ‘Listen First’ be of support for the healthy growth and well-being of children and youth?
‘Listen First’ was first launched in 2016 during the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the World Drug Problem as a campaign to raise awareness around listening to children and youth. Since then, UNODC has continued to develop and disseminate core, science-based messages of “Listen First” through videos and fact sheets to support drug use prevention worldwide.
Parents and families are powerful protective factors in the lives of children and youth, and research confirms that there is a link between parenting style and children’s behaviour, educational results, mental and physical health, and alcohol and drug use. Children who receive positive attention and support from their parent or caregiver from an early age grow more confident, less anxious, and are less likely to develop mental health issues and engage in risky behaviors. Being warm, loving, and responsive are some of the most important actions parents can take to help their children’s development.
In 2020-21, UNODC focused ‘Listen First’ to support parenting during the stressful times of COVID-19, with the aim to invest in the well-being of children and youth, their families, and their communities. UNODC will continue to support evidence-based drug use prevention worldwide and provide technical assistance to Member States looking to implement ‘Listen First’ as part of their drug use prevention strategies.
Made possible with the generous support of France.
