Chronicle Editor
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
STAKEHOLDERS in the fight against drug and substance abuse have given a thumbs up to the Multi-Sectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan (2024-2030) launched by President Mnangagwa last week saying he is leading from the front showing clear political will to rid the country of dangerous substances that have destroyed communities.
They said the bold steps taken by the President were a clear testimony and a signal of his Government’s direction in weeding out the scourge which was threatening a whole generation.
The blueprint spells out seven critical pillars which are drug and substance supply reduction, demand reduction, treatment and rehabilitation, psychosocial support, community reintegration, and policy and legal enforcement.
Dr Nemache Mawere, a psychiatrist and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Ingutsheni Psychiatric Hospital in Bulawayo said the move was welcome as it shows that the President is concerned about the scourge.
“We were very excited about it, it shows the highest level of commitment and political will to drive things forward because we always used to think we were not getting support because we were just talking about it. This document was crafted by the President’s Office with a multi-sectoral and inter-ministerial taskforce on drugs and the President was right at the top of it. We are happy because we are now going to have something positive being done about this,” said Dr Mawere.
He said with a blueprint in place, their hope as specialists in mental health and well-being, is that resources will be poured in religiously to be channelled towards the fight against drug and substance abuse.
Furthermore, he said the plan will also see all stakeholders pulling in one direction to reach a common goal of eradicating drugs and other harmful substances in communities.
“If the President says let us pull in a certain direction, everybody must do the same. The plan launched by the President is talking to issues of supply, which is very important as the State has to be involved in that one. Issues of demand and harm reduction are also important that he highlighted which involved us as we are mainly in the harm reduction pillar because we are mainly trying to make sure the harms of substances are dealt with. It is all-encompassing,” he said.
Dr Mawere said Ingutsheni Hospital is running a “rehabilitation” centre as it is the only place where patients with drug-induced psychosis can be admitted.
“Our wards are full of patients who abuse substances. Our admissions at Ingutsheni in the past two months have been less than 200, we used to run between 150 and 200 admissions at a time. But lately, our figures have changed, as on Monday last week we had 115 patients in Khumalo Ward, which is low. We never used to have such low numbers. What it means is that something positive is happening. Those reduced numbers signify something,” he added.
Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network (ZCLDN) director, Mr Wilson Box said the move by President Mnangagwa will now see the operationalisation of the Zimbabwe National Drug Master Plan that was adopted in September 2021.
“The Government has scaled up the masterplan to an implementable document, thereby facilitating its operationalisation. With adequate funding, I think this masterplan, together with the framework will be a game changer in our country. We will see communities of people using injected drugs being assisted by the various pillars that are found in that multi-stakeholder framework.
“So we encouraged the Government, through the substance and drug abuse fund, to support this multi-stakeholder document by implementing it quickly so that we do not have more cases of people suffering from drug abuse,” he said.
He said the document has everyone on board.
“It took everyone on board, just like what the country is trying to do, to ensure that everyone affected is catered for and not discriminated. That is what this document is all about. The document also supports the Government’s thrust on having an upper middle-income economy by 2030 by ensuring a healthy citizenry,” he said.
Mr Itai Rusike, executive director of the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) also commended the Government for launching the drug and substance abuse plan.
He said the drug abuse situation in the country is now a public health crisis that is inflicting harm on the young generation and perpetuating violence and crime, especially among vulnerable communities.
“The Government should now invest in proven services and care to address substance use and unmet mental health needs. There is a need to invest in youth-friendly drug rehabilitation and counselling services instead of placing the burden of care on families who themselves lack information and tools to respond and who still experience a stigma around drug abuse.
“Families should get greater support from the Government and other stakeholders to promote communication and to help those facing drug abuse challenges. We need to prioritise the prevention of drug abuse and tackle the drivers of drug abuse,” he said.
He said part of the causes of drug abuse in Zimbabwe was the lack of recreational facilities for young people.
“Most young people have a lot of idle time with nothing productive to do resulting in them experimenting and indulging in harmful drugs to suppress anxieties,” he added.
During the launch, the President said the drug abuse scourge knows no bounds as it affects all socio-economic levels and religious groupings and destroys lives and families. — @NyembeziMu
Bongani Ndlovu
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