On 26 to 28 March 2024, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with the Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section Vienna, facilitated a training on Quality Assurance for drug use disorder treatment systems in the Republic of South Africa. UNODC has a range of programmes and tools on Quality Assurance aimed at contributing to a high level of quality in drug use disorder treatment systems and services, and through this improve treatment outcomes and ongoing recovery management.
UNODC was the first to bring this innovative and catalytic training to South Africa, facilitated at a time South Africa is facing a growing drug use problem with increasing pressure on the treatment system. South Africa has a need to upscale and accelerate quality in the treatment system in order to meet the growing demand for treatment and improve treatment outcomes in the lives of people who use drugs and their families. The training covered topics such as important elements in a drug use treatment system, and how to take effective care of the system including financial planning.
The training is highly relevant to South Africa as the country has an ongoing need to do a critical analysis of the treatment system and an urgency to upscale quality in the system.
The training was facilitated by two renowned international consultants, seasoned in drug demand reduction and developing treatment systems in countries. The expertise of the consultants, and the knowledge, experience and passion of training delegates were a dynamic combination to start a process of bolstering the drug use treatment system and introduce innovative strategies for system improvement.
The training was attended by a diverse group of 30 delegates from across South Africa. Training delegates were national drug policy and treatment planners, representatives from Provincial Substance Abuse Forums (PSAFs) and Local Drug Action Committees (LDACs), treatment service providers, non-governmental organizations, academia specialising in treatment and representatives from the People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) network who has lived experiences of drug use.
The former ensured representation of all sectors involved in treating drug use disorders, created a favourable platform for robust discussions on the current treatment system and empowered training delegates with new knowledge and skills on treatment systems at the international level. The training design gave participants new knowledge and skills, and simultaneously bolstered the South African drug use disorder treatment system, by developing a plan to improve it. This plan will accelerate quality in the drug use treatment system and will be spearheaded by UNODC together with National Department of Social Development and stakeholders.
The training had vibrant discussions on, provincial treatment systems and synergies with the national system. The majority of training delegates agreed that the only way to ensure successful evidence-based treatment for drug use and drug use disorders and effective recovery management is to accelerate quality in the treatment system.
One training delegate said: “We were supposed to have discussions like this a long time ago, but a positive aspect is that we are having it now and it will surely take us forward.” During evaluation of the training, another training delegate stated: “I am in awe of this remarkable training UNODC brought to South Africa. I am understanding the treatment system much better especially its finer nuances, and I am excited to go back to my province and work on quality in our treatment system.” This training formed the foundation for follow up capacity building trainings and workshops UNODC will facilitate in 2024 and beyond and was the beginning of a focus on what matters the most in responding to drug use and drug use disorders services: an innovative, change-driven and evidence-based treatment system and services meeting international standards and aimed at providing the best care to those needing it the most.