Establishing community based drug treatment in Cambodia

Community based treatment capacities in Cambodia received a significant boost today, through a coordinated training package that aims to strengthen community-based health services for people who use drugs. The training follows a high-level symposium of ASEAN countries and China held late last year that announced a launch of a new approach to strengthen voluntary community-based health services throughout the region.

As reported in the third Regional Consultation on Compulsory Centres for Drug Users in Asia and the Pacific, 21-23 September 2015, Manila, Philippines, governments from seven countries in the ASEAN region estimated there are close to half a million people confined to compulsory drug treatment centres on a annual basis, usually for use or possession of methamphetamine. At the same time, the effectiveness of drug treatment in centres with prison like conditions has been called into question. Voluntary community level health and counselling programmes for drug users are still insufficiently available not just in Cambodia, but region-wide. In Cambodia, capacities to deliver treatment to people who use drugs are currently in need of more support.

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Thumbnail: Flickr CC Matt Brown