The European Union has released an additional 10 million euros (an equivalent of 800 million Afghanis) to improve mental health and addressing drug use disorders in Afghanistan.
This additional EU funding will ensure that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will provide wider access to mental health and drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation services for vulnerable populations in Afghanistan, including to women and girls, EU said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The EU feels very strongly about improving the health and well-being of the people in Afghanistan”, affirmed Raffaella Iodice, EU Chargée d’Affaires a.i. to Afghanistan. “It is important that those persons who struggle with mental health and drug use disorder have access to comprehensive health services and that they are helped to re-integrate into society. That is why the EU has decided to increase our funding to our partners WHO and UNODC. With this additional funding more people in need will be reached.”
“The EU’s support is essential in facilitating access to mental health and drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation services for vulnerable populations in Afghanistan,” emphasized Dr Luo Dapeng, WHO Representative in Afghanistan. “This additional €10 million funding will significantly enhance our endeavors to tackle the existing mental health and drug use disorder challenges among these populations, thereby enabling us to deliver the requisite care and support they rightfully deserve.”
EU said Afghanistan sees nearly 4 million drug user which equals close to 10 per cent of the population, and the worsening crisis has left most of the country’s drug treatment and rehabilitation centers struggling to cope and drug users without access to treatment.
“The additional funding is crucial in addressing drug use and its related disorders in Afghanistan by increasing access to integrated, evidence-based and human rights-oriented drug treatment and rehabilitation services”, said Anubha Sood, UNODC Representative in Afghanistan.
