We need more gender sensitive drug policies: U.N. drug body head

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Mon, 07 Aug 2017 - 07:11 GMT

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Mon, 07 Aug 2017 - 07:11 GMT

Viroj Sumya, head of the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board - Photo credit UN

Viroj Sumya, head of the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board - Photo credit UN

CAIRO – 7 August 2017: In a recent interview conducted by the United Nations with the head of the U.N. International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Viroj Sumyai, he confirmed that only one in five addicted women have access to treatment facilities. He added that from a sustainable development and human rights perspective, there is an urgent need to develop and adopt gender sensitive drug policies to address disadvantaged female drug addicts.

In the interview, Sumyai put a spotlight on the INCB annual report, which highlighted that women face more obstacles, compared to men, to access drug treatments. Some of the reported challenges facing women include lack of comprehensive studies on drug-related harms to women, gender-desegregated data on drug use being rarely collected, and inadequate budget allocations by states for prevention and treatment of drugs among women, resulting in women suffering in silence.

Elaborating on the obstacles and challenges that face addicted women, Sumyai explain that women caring roles prevent them from seeking treatment. He said that, there are no specialized facilities for women who seek treatment and there are no alternative support systems to care for the children while women seek help.

On the use of opioid medication (drugs that relieve pain through acting on the nervous system ), Sumyai said that high-income countries’ access to opioid medications, such as in the U.S., Canada, countries in Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, creates a lot of problems. In addition, lack of access to these medications in low and middle-income countries also causes a lot of issues.

For all the above challenges and plans, the INCB is working closely with the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and the UNAIDS to address drugs addiction and misuse problems. Furthermore, the board collaborates with WHO and national authorities to build the capacity of health professionals on proper prescription of opioid medication to ensure that these medicines are not over-prescribed, and on procurement of various types of medications.

The INCB is composed of 13 members elected by the U.N. Economic and Social Council and is established under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. The board is based in Vienna, Austria, and it is responsible for monitoring the compliance by the states party to the three international drug control conventions: the 1961 Drug Convention, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

The 1961 Drug Convention: Called the Single Convention on Noratic Drugs of 1961, it is an international treaty to prohibit production and supply of narcotic drugs and other drugs with similar effects except under license for specific purposes such as medical treatment and research.

The 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances: The convention was designed as the 1961 convention did not ban the newly discovered psychotropic, since its scope was limited to drugs with cannabis, coca and opium-like effects. It controls psychoactive drugs, such as amphetamine-type stimulants, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and psychedelics.

The 1988 Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances: The convention provides additional legal mechanisms for enforcing the 1961 and 1971 conventions. It was introduced following the growing demand for cannabis, cocaine, and heroin, mostly in the developed world. The convention was presented to stop the increase in illicit production, trade, and international drug trafficking.

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