Maiduguri, 28 April. 2025 – Getting medical assist to stop using illicit drugs saved my life, said 41-year-customary *Aliu Musa from Maiduguri, Borno State. (*name changed for privacy).
Aliu abused drugs for 15 years. This affected his work, relationships, and health. “My life was a mess. I was told that I talked and behaved irrationally anytime I was below the impression of drugs.
After I was on drugs, I was constantly in pain, may perchance not mediate clearly or attain my daily tasks,” Aliu said.
Aliu received free treatment at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Maiduguri through a medical assistance intervention.
“My life has improved since I started treatment. I’m doing better at work, and my marriage is stronger because my behaviour at home has changed,” Aliu explained.
The program treated and helped him to stop abusing drugs and provided counselling on how to manage his time and money.
Addressing Health Risks
Recognising drug exercise as a significant public health situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) advocates for a total location of harm reduction interventions. These measures aim to decrease the transmission rates of HIV, HCV, and HBV, alongside struggling with fatal overdoses among individuals who exercise drugs and enabling them to are living drug-free lives.
Government and WHO Efforts
The Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the WHO and its partners, launched the harm reduction strategies, together with the Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) programme, nationwide to provide medical assistance to drug abusers , sever the spread of diseases among of us that inject drugs and provide access to products and services for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and mental health.
The treatment would also assist them are living an everyday, drug-free life, changing into productive to strengthen themselves, their families and communities at large.
Dr Salaudeen Jimoh, Director of Hospital Services and products and Chairman of the National Harm Reduction Technical Working Group, stated that with the implementation of MAT, Nigeria is now fully adhering to the WHO’s recommendations on harm reduction.
He appreciated the Global Fund for supporting the Country in enforcing this intervention. He extra lauded the Gombe state authorities for pioneering the MAT programme in Nigeria, stating that the state’s learnings will narrate the scaling up of the programme to other states.
Dr Salaudeen appealed to Nigerians to empathise with drug users and strengthen, rehabilitate, and empower them, stating, “Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is now available in the country along with other harm reduction products and services. With the final goal to assist drug users stop the usage of illicit substances, of us that need these products and services are encouraged to access them.”
Scaling up interventions:
To accomplish these targets, the World Health Organisation (WHO) supported the Nigerian authorities in creating and localising the implementation of harm reduction strategies, policies, and guidelines, together with the Needle Syringe Exchange Guidelines, which aim to stop infections through sterile devices.
WHO supported the authorities in establishing the National Technical Working Group (NTWG) on Harm Reduction and the National Drug Demand and Harm Reduction Programme within the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, enforcing strategies to strengthen its response.
These strategies included constructing the capacity of fifty of us, comprising representatives from the federal and state governments, academia, healthcare workers, enforcing and progress partners, civil society organisations, and of us that inject drugs (PWID), on harm reduction across the country.
Dr. Mya Ngon, WHO’s Team Lead for Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases, emphasised that “WHO will continue collaborating with the authorities to guarantee that access to prevention, early detection, and treatment for drug exercise and related health challenges.” This joint initiative seeks to make stronger the health and well-being of individuals who inject drugs, making certain they can access essential products and services and strengthen.
“I’m happy that the government has plans to help people who use drugs get free treatment. I will tell others about the program so they can get help, too,” Aliu said.
