26 June 2020- As part of the commemoration of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, established by the United Nations, PAHO, in conjunction with the Inter-American Commission on Drug Abuse Control of the Organization of American States (CICAD OAS), and with the collaboration of the City Council and the University of Valencia , Spain, and the Government of the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina, organized the virtual seminar "Dialogue with local experts and drug policies managers: How has COVID-19 impacted on local policies for the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders?”
Presentations made by Dr. Francisco Bueno Canigral, Head of Addiction Services of the Council of Health and Consumption of the City Council of Valencia and of the Mg. Jesica Suarez, Director of Social Policy in Addiction of the Government of Buenos Aires, reviewed the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed to local governments in relation to addressing the use of psychoactive substances. Issues addressed included the risks and circumstances associated with contagion, preventive measures, strategies for keeping treatment services for people with psychoactive substance disorders active, addressing the most vulnerable populations, challenges for public health systems and personnel, as well as expectations related to opening processes and the so-called "new normality"”.
Presentations by local policy makers and programs on the prevention and treatment of substance use problems were followed by a dialogue with 16 international experts from Latin America and Spain, who considered and made recommendations on the formulation and implementation of evidence-based policies for addressing this complex issue in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics such as the development and adjustment of information systems, priority areas of human resources research and training, the relevance of novel interventions such as telematic care, the role of non-governmental organizations, and the strengthening of government institutions and international cooperation were discussed.
Dr. Jimena Kalawski, Chair of CICAD’s Expert Group on Demand Reduction, and Dr. Rafael Aleixandre B., professor at the University of Valencia, presented the summary and conclusions of the session, highlighting that users of psychoactive substances are a high-risk population during the pandemic and the importance of developing and strengthening mechanisms for collaboration between different actors in order to effectively prevent and respond to threats such as COVID-19.