This initiative focuses on providing technical assistance and capacity building to OAS member states to develop a national work plan for implementing drug use prevention programs according to their assessed local needs, available resources, and context. On November 2022, CICAD implemented the first Regional Conference on the Implementation of Drug Use Prevention Policies and Programs. The goal of this conference was to build and/or strengthen the capacity of national drug commissions officials in charge of developing and implementing drug use prevention policies, strategies, and programs in OAS member states. Following this conference, each member state performed an assessment of their internal needs, resources, networks, and barriers for establishing school-, family-, and workplace prevention strategies in their territories.
Though its Executive Secretariat, CICAD works to support member states build their capacity and develop evidence-based policies and programs that address the complex social, economic, and public health issues related to drug use. By promoting a comprehensive and evidence-based approach, CICAD aims to help member states reduce the harms associated with drug use and promote the health and well-being of individuals and communities throughout the Americas.
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Program activities include:
- Perform a local assessment with country’s technical prevention team to diagnose resources and barriers;
- Organize a local meeting with country’s technical prevention team to identify, establish and/or strengthen national prevention network and improve the work across the different prevention stakeholders;
- Design a work plan for selecting prevention programs (family, school, community, workplace) and identify related stakeholders;
- Organize a virtual follow-up meeting with the technical prevention team one month after the establishment of the work plan;
- Follow-up with national prevention team to monitor implementation of work plan for a period of 12 months;
- Organize a follow-up workshop to review the progress achieved by the national prevention teams; foster the exchange of experiences among member states; and provide training on identified gaps to continue implementation.
Enhanced global capacity to develop and implement effective drug use prevention policies, strategies, and programs.
- Member states develop tailored national work plans for the implementation of drug use prevention programs, taking into account their unique internal needs, available resources, and contextual considerations.
- Increased knowledge, skills, and strategic capabilities among national drug commissions officials to develop and implement effective drug use prevention policies, strategies, and programs.
- Strengthened leadership and expertise within national drug commissions, fostering more informed and targeted approaches to substance use prevention at the national level.
Isabella Araújo Senior Program Officer Demand Reduction Unit Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) Organization of American States (OAS) E-mail: iaraujo [at] oas [dot] org (iaraujo[at]oas[dot]org)
