Full Conference Programme

Conference ProgrammeThe Virtual Conference on Drug Demand Reduction in Africa - Prevention, Treatment and Epidemiology was convened through a series of six plenary sessions beginning September 16, 2020, through to November 10, 2020.

Plenary 1: Setting the Scene for Drug Demand reduction in Africa 

Date: September 16, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 4:10 pm South Africa time
Plenary Chair: Jeff Lee and Livia Edegger, ISSUP Global

Schedule

Conference Welcome and Introduction:

  • Jeff Lee, Senior Consultant, ISSUP Global

  • Livia Edegger, Deputy Director, ISSUP Global

Setting the Scene:

  • Roger Weimann - President, ISSUP SA; Director, SANCA Eastern Cape

  • Joanna Travis-Roberts - Chief Executive, ISSUP Global

  • Brian Morales - Branch Chief Counternarcotics, Office of Global Programs and Policies (INL/GPP)

  • Ambassador Adam Namm - Executive Secretary, Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), Organization of the American States (OAS)

  • Ms Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu - Deputy Minister, Republic of South Africa Department of Social Development (DSD)

  • Her Excellency Amira Elfadil - Commissioner for Social Affairs, African Union Commission (AUC)

Global Perspective – A Global Overview of Drug Use

  • Chloé Carpentier - Chief, Drug Research Section, Research Branch, UNODC
  • Giovanna Campello - Chief, Prevention, Treatment & Rehabilitation Section, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Continental Perspective – An Overview of Drug Use in Africa

  • Dr Jane Marie Ong’olo - Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups and Drug Control, African Union Commission

African Union Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (2019-2023)

  • Dr Abel Basutu - Senior Drug Control Programme Officer, African Union Commission

Global Initiatives by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, US State Department

  • William McGlynn - Senior Advisor, Office of Global Policy and Programs, Drug Demand Reduction, INL, U.S. Department of State

  • Bruno Bui - Foreign Affairs Officer, Office of Global Policy and Programs, Drug Demand Reduction, INL, U.S. Department of State

Regional Perspective – Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Marya Hynes - Chief, Inter-American Observatory on Drugs, CICAD

Summary and Invitation to Send Comments and Questions Arising from Inputs

 

Plenary 2: Evidence-based Prevention: Policy and Practice 

Date: September 22, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 4:10 pm South Africa time
Plenary Chair: David Bayever, ISSUP South Africa

Schedule

What Constitutes Evidence-Based Prevention?

  • Jeff Lee - Senior Consultant, ISSUP

Global Prevention Standards

  • Giovanna Campello - Chief, Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section, UNODC

Media-Based Prevention Programmes

  • William D. Crano - Oskamp Professor of Social Psychology, Division of Behavioral and Organizational Science, Claremont Graduate University, USA

Alcohol Use Prevention (data on alcohol use, environmental prevention initiatives):

  • Maristela Monteiro - Regional Advisor on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) *Focus on the Latin America & the Caribbean

  • Professor Neo Morojele - Professor and Acting HOD, Department of Psychology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

  • Professor Nazarius Tumwesigye - Associate Professor and Head of Department, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Makerere University School of Public Health, Uganda

  • René Adams - Programme Manager, Substance Abuse Prevention and Drug Control Rehabilitation Division, Social Welfare Services Directorate, Ministry of Health and Social Services, Namibia

Question & Answer Session

 

Plenary 3: A Focus on Treatment and Recovery 

Date: October 6, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 4:10 pm South Africa time
Plenary Chair: Kim Johnson, ICUDDR

Schedule

Treatment Standards

  • Anja Busse - Programme Officer, Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section, Drug Prevention and Health Branch, UNODC

Service Quality Measurements in Treatment Facilities

  • Professor Bronwyn Myers - Chief Specialist Scientist, Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council

Best Practices in Treatment and UTC training in Africa

  • George Murimi - Training Coordinator for Africa, Colombo Plan DAP Credentialing and Certification
  • Becky Vaughn - Director, Global Centre for Credentialing and Certification (GCCC), Colombo Plan DAP

Case Studies of Treatment Programmes in Latin America/Caribbean and Africa

  • Bawo O. James - Consultant mental health physician and a certified addiction treatment specialist, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

  • Yuri Cutipé - Executive Director of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Peru Question & Answer Session

 

Plenary 4: Epidemiology and Its Role in Drug Demand Reduction

Date: October 20, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 4:10 pm South Africa time
Plenary Chair: Dr. Reychad Abdool, African Union Commission

Schedule

A Continental Overview of Drug Epidemiology in Africa

  • Professor Isidore Obot - Director, Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse, Nigeria

Regional Perspectives

  • Dr Olubusayo Akinola - Programme Officer, Drug Demand Reduction, ECOWAS Commission

  • Nadine Harker Burnhams - Research Scientist, South African Medical Research Council, SENDU/SACENDU

Overview of Drug Epidemiology in Latin America & Caribbean

  • Pernell Clarke - Research Specialist, Inter-American Observatory on Drugs, CICAD - Caribbean

  • Roberto Canay - Co-President, ISSUP Argentina - Latin America

Synchronising Global Drug Epidemiology Data Collection

  • Chloé Carpentier - Chief, Drug Research Section, Research Branch, UNODC

  • Enrico Bisogno - Chief, Data Development and Dissemination Unit, UNODC

Question & Answer Session

 

Plenary 5: Role of Legislators and Traditional Health Practitioners in Drug Demand Reduction 

Date: November 4, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 4:10 pm South Africa time
Plenary Chair: Government of South Africa

Schedule

Role of the Legislator in Drug Demand Reduction

  • Senator Mattie Hunter - Illinois State Senator, USA

  • Advocate Luyanda Mtshotshisa - State Prosecutor, South Africa (TBC)

  • Senator Héctor Yépez Martínez – Ecuador

  • Hon Seth Kwame Acheampong - Chairman, Defence and Interior Committee, Parliament of Ghana 

Role of Traditional Health Practitioners and Leaders in Drug Demand Reduction (Roundtable Discussion)

  • Dr. Pelmos Mashabela- Deputy Chairperson of the Central Drug Authority, South Africa

  • Dr Goodman Sibeko – Director of ITTC; Head, Division of Addiction Psychiatry, University

    of Cape Town

  • Dr David Basangwa, Uganda

  • Representatives from other African Countries (Mauritius, Kenya)

Q&A Session

 

Plenary 6: Review and Reflections: A Panel Session

Date: November 10, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 4:10 pm South Africa time
Plenary Chairs:  ISSUP Global

Schedule

A panel session to respond to questions and issues arising from the previous 5 plenaries.

Panel members:

  • Republic of South Africa (Dr. Pelmos Mashabela, Deputy Chairperson, CDA)
  • African Union Commission (Jane Marie Ong’olo, Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups and Drug Control)
  • ISSUP South Africa (Roger Weimann, President
  • South Africa Central Drug Authority (CDA) (David Bayever, Chairperson)
  • ISSUP Global (Joanna Travis-Roberts, Chief Executive)
  • ISSUP Global (Jeff Lee, Senior Consultant)
  • ISSUP Global (Livia Edegger, Deputy Director)
  • INL (William McGlynn, Senior Advisor)
  • CICAD (Jimena Kalawski, Chief, Demand Reduction)
  • Colombo Plan DAP (Thom Browne, CEO)
  • GCCC (Becky Vaughn, Director)
  • UNODC (Giovanna Campello, Chief, Prevention, Treatment & Rehabilitation Section)
  • ICUDDR (Dr. Kim Johnson, Executive Director)
  • ITTC (Dr. Goodman Sibeko, Director/Head, Division of Addiction Psychiatry, University of Cape Town)

Plenary Chair:   ISSUP - Joanna Travis-Roberts/Livia Edegger                                                                           

Welcome and Introductions                                                                                                                      

I.  African Perspective                                                                                                                                  

Panel Representative

Title

Discussion Question

AUC

Jane Marie Ong’olo

Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups and Drug Control

Please cite an example of what makes the experience of Africa unique and common to all other continents in terms of Drug Demand Reduction

CICAD

Jimena Kalawski

Chief,

Demand Reduction

Perspective from Latin America/ Caribbean

ISSUP South Africa

Roger Weimann

President,

ISSUP South Africa

Perspective from South Africa

AUC

Jane Marie Ong’olo

Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups and Drug Control

Please comment on the Role of Traditional Health Practitioners and Leaders in DDR in Africa

 

II.  Prevention                                                                                                                                                 

Panel Representative

Title

Discussion Question

ISSUP Global

Jeff Lee

Senior Consultant

Most people do not understand the importance of prevention, or the important points that are in the Prevention Standards.

How do we help them understand?

UNODC

Giovanna Campello

Chief 

Prevention, Treatment & Rehabilitation Section

Currently during the COVID-19 pandemic many risk factors are increased, and our access to people is reduced.

Can you provide any tips on prevention measures to address these risk factors in these pandemic conditions?

ITTC South Africa

Dr. Goodman Sibeko

Director of ITTC

Head, Division of Addiction Psychiatry, University of Cape Town

Discuss the importance of prevention and the Prevention Standards from the African perspective

 

III.  Treatment                                                                                                                                                 

Panel Representative

Title

Discussion Question

Colombo Plan DAP

Thom Browne

CEO

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic has there been an escalation of substance abuse disorders and their associated impacts?

African Union Commission

Jane Marie Ong’Olo

Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups and Drug Control

Response from an African perspective

Central Drug Authority

David Bayever

Chairperson

Response from a South African  perspective

 

IV.  Professionalising the Workforce                                                                                                       

Panel Representative

Title

Discussion Question

ICUDDR

Dr. Kim Johnson

Executive Director

What is the importance in light of the issues discussed in the conference, of professionalising the workforce?

GCCC

Becky Vaughn

Director

 

Perspective from Global Centre for Credentialing and Certification

ISSUP SA

Roger Weimann

President

Perspective from South Africa

 

V.  Closing Remarks                                                                                                                                       

Panel Representative

Title

Closing Remarks

INL

Bill McGlynn

 

Senior Advisor

Office of Global Policy and Programs, DDR

Closing Remarks - INL

AUC

Jane Marie Ong’Olo

Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups and Drug Control

Closing Remarks - AUC

Central Drug Authority

Dr Pelmos Mashabela

Deputy Chairperson

 

Closing Remarks –

Government of South Africa

ISSUP SA

Roger Weimann

President

 

Closing Remarks – ISSUP South Africa

CICAD

Jimena Kalawski

Chief,

Demand Reduction

Closing Remarks – CICAD

Colombo Plan DAP

Thom Browne

CEO

Closing Remarks – Colombo Plan DAP

ISSUP Global

Joanna Travis-Roberts

Chief Executive

 

Closing Remarks – ISSUP Global

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