Is Africa’s Harm Reduction Movement Growing Fast Enough?
Author: Nomacento Pu
Nicotine patches, sugar-free drinks, zero-alcohol drinks and seat belts. These are harm reduction products. The term harm reduction became popular in the 1970s and 1980s as part of the movement to define anti-drug alternatives. Harm reduction is not a complete rejection of drugs and addiction, but rather seeks to provide alternatives. But over time, the term has evolved and now also includes measures that help reduce reliance on harmful products and behaviors. The 2024 Harm Reduction Communication Forum was held in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The annual forum is now in its fourth year and here are some highlights.
Prioritize mental health and treatment
One of the biggest challenges when trying to end substance dependence is social judgment. Dr. Martin Awoji of Nigeria, founder and executive director of the Global Initiative on Drug Abuse, said one of the key principles is humanization, saying “Understand that judging addicts will neither change their situation nor serve them. Help. ” Harm reduction also “looks at how and why people relate to substances,” explains Dr. Agwogie. Drug centers, health programs, social workers and therapists are all studying this. Agwogie also said it’s important to celebrate modest steps individuals take “A slight reduction in usage or a positive step toward a patient’s personal goals should be praised and celebrated,” said Dr. Vivian Manyeki of Kenya , “Not everything can be treated with medication, therapy can help. Just talking, behavior and lifestyle changes can help.”
singapore tax
Most African countries tax “sin”; these products include cigarettes, alcohol and now even products high in sugar. In South Africa, a sugar tax was introduced to reduce diabetes and obesity. Dr. Vivian Manyeki said that for cigarette lovers, there is a need to tax tobacco and most of the tax revenue goes into the state coffers. This needs to be reviewed. Currently, all African countries selling cigarettes are required to display information on the harmful effects of smoking on their packaging. Manyeki called on governments to go a step further and “invest sin tax funds into harm reduction campaigns”, which could be more investment in care centres, awareness campaigns or even paying for research into alternatives.
Smoking Policy
Designated smoking areas are the government’s main way of ensuring that people have access to cigarettes of choice. Kenya’s Dr Kariuki Michael said the Kenyan government has introduced a bill to parliament to regulate the use of additives in tobacco products. Ongoing policy discussions with Kenyan lawmakers could help bring more smoke-free alternatives to market. Governments are also funding more research and allowing for wider discussions that will influence policy on how harmful products are identified
cigarette alternatives
At the Harm Reduction Exchange Forum, there was consensus that it is unrealistic to expect people to stop engaging in harmful behaviors overnight. Instead, they called for continued regulation of alternatives. Currently, the governments of Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya have approved products that provide some form of nicotine replacement therapy. Dr. Michael of Kenya presented research showing that it can be helpful “when administered transdermally via a patch, directly into the mouth via aerosol, or chewed like gum or flavored lozenges.”
What else needs to be done?
Like many similar platforms, the Harm Reduction Exchange is imploring policymakers to join the conversation. During the panel discussion, the need to bridge the gap between young stakeholders and policymakers was considered key. While harm reduction looks at taking more preemptive steps to promote health and wellness, this often means the data and research are changing. Therefore, policy makers need to be continuously engaged to ensure that relevant policies are developed. “It’s important to meet people where they are, and that means engaging community leaders in initiatives that can correct harmful behaviours,” Dr Hall said.
Policies are implemented faster
A major challenge is the slow pace of policy change, which may be due to changes between governments, conflicts in certain areas, or lack of or awareness. “Africa is known for its anti-drug and tough drug-related laws,” said Martin, who cited most African governments’ “slow progress in public health approaches to drug abuse prevention, treatment and recovery, and the ways in which they complicate the lives of drug abuse victims.” policy”. drug. “While the data are evolving, most laws are not. Legislators need to be constantly educated and engaged, and we need to keep showing them that the money they spend on cardiovascular disease can be linked to harm reduction,” said Dr. Manyeki. Intertwined, we need to demonstrate this every day, and ultimately these dollars will be spent on harm reduction. ”
inclusive
Africa is a melting pot of cultures and traditions. To effectively reduce harm, everyone needs to be involved. Dr. Emmanuel Rocha of the Democratic Republic of Congo said that in a country like his, there are more than 400 cultural practices that need to be taken into account when taking initiatives. The solution, Dr. Hanu believes, is to involve everyone from policymakers to community leaders and even the communities themselves. Grassroots engagement will provide effective insights into how to achieve harm reduction.
All in all, harm reduction is important for Africa because preemptive health care will reduce the burden on an already stretched health care sector. Ensuring plans, initiatives and policies are in place will have long-term benefits.
