Maldives: UNODC supports National Drug Agency in implementing effective treatment for drug-related disorders

Male, Maldives/30 August 2022: In August, UNODC provided technical support to the Maldives National Drug Agency (NDA) on drug treatment and rehabilitation.

To facilitate the implementation of the Situational Analysis of Drugs in the Maldives, UNODC experts mapped and assessed existing drug treatment programmes and vocational and skill development frameworks implemented by NDA in the Maldives.

A series of four trainings were conducted for over 120 personnel of Maldives' National Drug Agency towards the implementation of effective drug treatments and in line with the Situational Analysis of Drugs.

The trainings touched upon the delivery of informed care for individuals affected by severe psychological traumas and addiction, the assessment and triage of patients, ways to give Buprenorphine to drug abusers and core functions of a drug counselor.

The mentorship and trainings resulted in the adoption of fluid-collecting procedures and protocols more in line with human rights standards, the prioritization of pregnant women seeking methadone treatment along with other priority populations, the right for physicians to make decisions solely based on medical necessity, and an agreement that clinics will have naloxone distributed for emergencies.

This activity contributed to SDG 3 and SDG 16: https://sdg-tracker.org/