WHO strengthens public health response to substance use in Afghanistan

23 July 2024, Kabul, Afghanistan – Substance use and substance use disorders remain a significant public health burden in Afghanistan, devastating families and communities across the country. Substance use claims hundreds of lives each year, with substance dependence among women on the rise.

Since 2023, WHO has played an important role in improving the public health response to substance use disorders in Afghanistan. WHO has supported community-based efforts to prevent initiation of substance use; has integrated mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services into general health programmes; and has provided quality treatment for those in need. It has done so thanks to support from donors like the European Union and partners like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

WHO Afghanistan has further provided strong support to specialized centres for the treatment and rehabilitation of people with substance use disorders. In 2023, these efforts helped about 1000 people to complete residential treatment and move into the relapse prevention phase, during which they receive ongoing support to reintegrate into their communities.

This approach is based on evidence that a substance use disorder is a chronic disease that can be prevented and treated. It is inspired by the lives of people who have benefited from evidence-based treatment and harm reduction interventions, allowing them to rebuild their lives.

Abdul Rahim Rajaye, aged 62 years, is one of those people who has turned his life around. As founder and chief executive of the Bridge Hope Health Organization (BHHO), a nongovernmental organization (NGO), he now dedicates himself to helping others do the same.

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Support. Don’t Punish Day

Each June, Abdul Rahim and BHHO mark the Support. Don’t Punish Global Day of Action. This global campaign calls for better drug policies that focus on health and human rights instead of punishing people who use drugs. With its emphasis on support and rehabilitation over punishment, the campaign serves as an alternative to the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.