On 25 September 2020, UNODC's Regional Mission in Central Asia and the Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section of UNODC Headquarters, in collaboration with the National Centre for Mental Health Research of the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan, organized a national webinar. The purpose of the webinar was to organize a stakeholder forum to share important international experiences on the continuity and sustainability of HIV treatment, prevention, care and support services for people who use drugs and how to implement evidence-based policies that ensure access to effective drug and HIV treatment programs for people who use drugs.

Presentations on the following topics were presented to participants:

• World Drug Report 2020 Review
• Results of a rapid assessment of the impact of the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) on drug use and services for drug users in Central Asia
• The results of the study on the impact of COVIDE-19 on the trade in psychoactive substances in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
• Results of a pilot study on the epidemiological situation related to the use of new psychoactive substances in Kazakhstan

Participants also discussed the experience of adapting forms and methods of delivering treatment and care to new conditions.

The 68 national health professionals involved in the provision of treatment, prevention, care and support services for people who use drugs participated in the webinar and expressed great interest in continuing the forum.

The webinar was conducted as part of UNODC's GLOJ71 PROJECT, "Treatment of Addiction and Its Health Effects: Tritnet II."