Dr. Gilberto Gerra
He dedicated his professional life to promoting the health and recovery of people who use drugs and people with drug use disorders, by providing unconditional evidence-based services.
20+ years of clinical practice before serving as Head of the National Drug Department in Italy, promoting evidence-based prevention and treatment, and innovative research.
INCB Member (2004-2007) before leading the UNODC Drug Prevention and Health Branch (2007-2020) putting health, science and empathy at the centre of the international drug control response, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Two joint programmes with WHO (drug dependence treatment and access to controlled medicines) - UNODC/WHO Standards on Prevention and on Treatment - 152 (co-)authored scientific articles on PubMed/MedLine.
Thanks to his leadership, Member States unanimously endorsed the UNGASS 2016 Outcome Document recognizing drug dependence as a multi-factorial chronic health disorder.