Launch of drug dependence, treatment and care programme in Iraq

Treatment and rehabilitation services to reduce the impact of drugs on Iraqi society are being launched by the United Nations.

Two UN agencies have joined efforts on the project—the Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Both are supporting the development of drug dependence treatment services in Iraq, which has reportedly for many years been a transit and destination country for illicit drugs.

Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of UNODC, said on Wednesday that until recently, a gap existed between the needs of drug users and what could reasonably be delivered by Iraqi health services.

To close this divide, Mr Fedotov said UNODC and WHO have helped build modern, effective services, which are also fully in line with international drug conventions.

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