2. Project description (background and justification)
[NOTE: The following details were written at the commencement of this project in 1999 when the situation, as described, prevailed.]
The extent of drug abuse in India is not known, but even conservative estimates place the number of drug abusers above 3 million and there is indication that drug abuse is increasing. Over 10% of HIV sero-positives are believed to be injecting drug abuse (IDUs). The abundant availability of illicit drugs, the magnitude of the country with a population of over one billion, a multitude of languages and a complex drug control situation, makes it difficult to address the drug abuse problem. This situation is compounded by a general lack of resources, lack of information on the nature of the problem and lack of knowledge and skilled personnel to address it effectively.
The project will build on the Government's policy of supporting non governmental organizations (NGOs) to carry out demand reduction activities and its intention to set up a National Centre for Drug Abuse Prevention. The project will also build on the proven success of the ongoing project, IND/808, Developing Community Drug Rehabilitation and Workplace Prevention Programme which started in June 1995. It aims to assist the Government in establishing an infrastructure to initiate, support and sustain demand reduction activities on a nation-wide scale and to launch such activities. The longer term objective to which the project will contribute is that drug abuse among the general population, high risk groups and drug addicts (and abuse of alcohol in the workplace) is reduced and is being prevented on a nation-wide scale by NGOs, community based organizations (CBOs), private sector enterprises, government and other United Nations agencies.
3. Immediate objectives, related outputs and activities
The project infrastructure will consist of a National Centre for Drug Abuse Prevention (NCDAP) and five regional resource and training centers (RRTCs) to strengthen the outreach of the NCDAP. A sixth RRTC will be set up in the North Eastern states of India under project IND/E41, Community-Wide Demand Reduction in the North Eastern States of India. The NCDAP will be established as a government entity, while the RRTCs will consist of NGOs which will be provided with technical assistance to serve as RRTCs. The NCDAP, which will include a department for research and documentation and a department for human resource development, will carry out research, provide documentation, information, education and communication material, act as a clearing house and conduct training in demand reduction. In particular, the NCDAP will provide technical support and backstopping to the work of the RRTCs. These will in turn adapt information material to local needs and disseminate this within their respective regions. The RRTCs will, in particular, provide training, technical support and backstopping to NGOs, CBOs and enterprises. This will include assistance in elaborating and implementing action plans in demand reduction.
Through this infrastructure and the multiplier effect through training of trainers that it provides, the project will, in particular launch activities aimed at community based prevention, workplace prevention and community based-and vocational rehabilitation. Activities will also aim at increasing the effectiveness of treatment programmes at reducing the risk of drug related transmission of HIV/AIDs.
City-, state- and national-level NGO forums will be developed and strengthened to network and exchange expertise and information. Minimum standards of care and practice will be developed to ensure that quality drug demand reduction programmes are implemented in the country. These activities will be reinforced by the establishment of self-help groups and organizations among recovering drug abusers at the city, state and national levels. An important element of the project will be the mobilization of the private sector and the business community in the country through not only their partnership in the prevention of drug abuse programes in their enterprises but also by mobilizing/harnessing their resources to support the drug demand reduction programmes in the country. For this, the establishment of an Association of Resource Managers against Drug Abuse (ARMADA), linking enterprises targeted by the project, their support organizations and partner NGOs and a private sector conference are foreseen. A drug abuse monitoring system will be established at the NCDAP. The system will be developed in close collaboration with project IND/D83, All India Survey of Extent and Pattern of Drug Abuse. This will be crucial in strengthening the knowledge base for demand reduction activities and thereby ensure better targeting of activities. Also, the project will develop curricula and information packages for inclusion in the programmes of UN sister organizations and concerned government agencies.
The project will fall into four phases with one immediate objective for each phase. The immediate objectives constitute standalone goals which can be sustained in case a subsequent phase does not materialize or is delayed.
By the end of Phase I, the basis for the infrastructure for community wide demand reduction on a nation-wide scale will have been established in terms of initial capability at the NCDAP, the RRTCs being physically in place and training programmes having been developed to establish the necessary capability at the RRTCs.
By the end of Phase II, the infrastructure will have been established in terms of capability being in place at the NCDAP and RRTCs and programmes having been piloted by these on a large scale for the purpose of establishing capabilities at NGOs, CBOs, enterprises and government agencies to reduce and prevent demand for illicit drugs (and alcohol in the workplace) among the general population, high risk groups and drug addicts.
By the end of phase III, the activities of the NCDAP and RRTCs will include technical support to more than 83 such programmes of NGOs, CBOs, enterprises, government and United Nations agencies
By the end of phase IV, over 305 programmes will be supported, targeting more than 2 million persons, with a large share belonging to groups vulnerable to drug abuse. This will include 150,000 workers and their families and 9,000 persons working in sectors vulnerable to drug abuse. Equally important, the quality of programmes and the way in which services are provided will have been strengthened considerably.
4. Counterpart, institutional setting and implementation arrangements
The project will be executed by UNODC. ILO will be the associated agency responsible for the implementation of the workplace prevention and community based rehabilitation components of the project. The main government counterpart will be the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will also be an implementing partner to the project. The project will be implemented in conjunction with project IND/E41, Community-Wide Demand Reduction in the North Eastern States of India. |
