Brussels, 14-15 November 2023 – “In 2021, 86 per cent of the global population was living in countries where the availability of pharmaceutical opioids for medical use was below the global average,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Ms. Waly, who was speaking during the Panel Discussion on “Equal Access, Empowered Health – No Patient Left Behind” in Brussels, Belgium, underscored UNODC’s commitment to “ensuring everyone’s right to live with dignity, free from unnecessary suffering” – which can only be done by creating “a future where access to pain relief and palliative care is universal.”
The event, organized by Belgium with the support of UNODC, brought together 50 experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from different organizations and regions, who shared successful best practices to expand access to controlled substances for medical purposes and explored new ways to foster cooperation and increase support worldwide.
“We must continue to accelerate our efforts, broaden our partnerships, and secure sustainable funding,” Ms. Waly continued.
According to estimates by the World Health Organization and the International Narcotics Control Board, large inequalities remain in the availability of internationally-controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes. 75 per cent of the world’s population has limited or no access to controlled medicines and less than 10 per cent of children in need of pain medication can access it.
These figures clearly indicate that limited or zero access to controlled medicines must be considered a global health crisis.
Barriers to access are related to differences in national income, legislation and regulatory systems, good governance, culture, adequate clinical skills and training, national supply management systems, and misinformation. The same barriers prevent access to other controlled medicines for the treatment of pain, opioid dependence, mental health, and neurological disorders.
As the United Nations policymaking body with the prime responsibility for drug-related matters, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) prioritizes the implementation of international drug policy commitments on improving availability of and access to controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes.
This commitment, embedded in the international drug conventions, is at the core of UNODC’s global responsibilities. “We jointly need to ensure that our commitments are translated into tangible impact on the ground,“ highlighted H.E. Ambassador Miguel Camilo Ruiz Blanco, Chair of the 66th session of the CND.
UNODC is leading a coordinated and global response to improve availability of and access to controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, with the goal of increasing the number of patients globally receiving appropriate treatment.
With financial contributions from Member States and support from international partners, UNODC launched the Joint Global Programme on “Access to Controlled Drugs for Medical Purposes While Preventing Diversion and Abuse. Through this programme, UNODC helps Member States address major impediments that contribute to the underuse of controlled medicines.
“Let us turn “#NoPatientLeftBehind” from a hashtag into a tangible reality,” concluded Ghada Waly, stressing that Member States needed to live up to their pledge of ensuring that essential controlled substances reach all of those who need them.
Click here to access E-Learning on "Availability of and Access to Controlled Substances for Medical and Scientific Purposes".