By: Lamin B. Darboe
At least 26 Gambians are currently undergoing eight days first-ever Training Of Trainers (TOT) on Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) at Senegambia Beach Hotel.
Organized by ICCE Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program (DAP), the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and coordinated by the Drug Law Enforcement Agency the Gambia (DLEAG)
Declaring the training opened on behalf of the director general of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency (DLEAG), Bakary Kassama, the deputy director general of the DLEAG, Tijan Bah expressed his gratitude to the organizers for choosing Gambia to conduct the training course.
Bah described the training as another milestone for the health sector and the country in particular in addressing issues related to drugs and substance use disorders and specialized drug addiction treatment services in The Gambia.
According to Bah, the training will provides unique opportunity to boost the capacity of professionalism and credentials of the treatment workforce in The Gambia on internationally recognized standards of best practices thus equally facilitate cooperation with internationally recognized organizations in the domain.
As the leading government drugs agency in the country he went on, we are mandated to regulate the use of and possession of controlled drugs, prohibited drugs and precursors and connected matters.
“The Drug Law Enforcement Agency the Gambia (DLEAG) is proud to be associated with relevant stakeholders such as the law enforcement fraternity on the supply front to the health and social welfare, civil society, youth groups, community based organizations among others,” Bah stated.
According to Bah, drugs do not exist in isolation and he therefore stating that, curbing it requires a balanced integrated multi sectorial approach between supply suppression and drug demand reduction.
DLEAG deputy director described the role of the law enforcement personnel on the supply front as well as health care workers, social workers, civil society, media and public as very significant if any nations are to make meaningful gains.
He said drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking and related organized crimes continue to threaten global peace and stability thus this trade is a complex challenge that endangers the health and socio-economic conditions of individuals and societies.
DLEAG Deputy Director, Tijan Bah emphasized that drugs continue to be a persisting phenomenon that no single nation can boast to eradicate it totally adding that the youth-folk are one’s remain highly affected by this menace.
“The impact and burden of this menace on families, education, mental health, public health care system, judiciary, prisons and correction centers, road traffic accidents cannot be over emphasized enough in words,” deputy director expressed.
Others who spoke at the opening were: George Murimi Project Manager for Africa in Drug Advisory Program (DAP), of the Colombo Plan based in Sri Lanka, Godlove Vanden-Bossche deputy Narcotic Analyst SUD Counselor from Ghana and Dr. Olajumoke Koyejo Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist from Nigeria.