Programme description

Title: Central Asia Drug Action Programme (CADAP Phase 5)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) and Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi)
Financier: EuropeAid Development and Cooperation, EU Grant
Country: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Lead executing agency: Federal Ministry of Health (BMG)
Overall term: 2010 to 2013

Context

In the countries of Central Asia, the number of people using illegal drugs, especially heroin, has risen steeply in recent years. Cases of death and infectious diseases associated with the high-risk patterns of drug consumption are also rising rapidly. Immediate and coherent action is needed to arrest this trend. The EU and its member states want to help the Central Asian countries reduce the levels of drug consumption. To do so requires reliable statistical analyses to inform political decision making, proven methods of treatment for addiction, effective prevention measures, and good networking of governmental and non-governmental actors.

With the signing of the EU Central Asia Drug Action Plan 2009-2013 (CADAP), the five states of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) and the EU agreed to strengthen their cooperation for the treatment and the prevention of drug addiction. The current phase of  CADAP brings together a consortium of EU Member States under the coordination of GIZ, which is working on behalf of German Federal Ministry of Health. CADAP complements the already extensive commitment of Germany and other EU Member States under the European Union Central Asia Strategy.

Objective

Drugs policies in the Central Asian countries reflect the latest scientific knowledge and follow model contemporary approaches as practised in Europe. The states are included in international forums and commissions.

Approach

CADAP promotes the development of effective, comprehensive drug policies, based on scientific evidence and EU best practice. The programme supports the difficult transition to a modern approach from the rather punitive policies inherited from the Soviet era.

In coordination with other international projects, CADAP is assisting its Central Asian partners in the provision of addiction therapy, drugs prevention and with the monitoring of the drugs situation. Moreover, the programme is also working to secure the long-term participation of Central Asian states in international forums and commissions.

The programme consists of four components.

• OCAN (Overall coordination and networking)
  (headed by GIZ, Germany)
  Apart from the overall coordination of the programme, OCAN also supports the evaluation of structures and mechanisms under the drug policies of the Central Asian countries, and as such also promotes general exchanges of experience. It also encourages networking between the stakeholders of CADAP and international and national players from the WHO, UN, EU, Global Fund, NGOs, etc.
• DAMOS (Drug epidemiology database collection and development)
  (headed by ResAd, Czech Republic)
  DAMOS helps the Central Asian partners to obtain reliable data on drug consumption in order to promote sustainable drug policies, based on scientific know how. Key measures are:
• Institutionalised collection and analysis of indicators measuring the demand and supply of drugs; the development of a drug information system; effective reporting to national and international bodies
• Networking of all key players in the field of data provision; establishing long-term contacts with institutions in EU member states
• Closer cooperation with the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) in Lisbon
• TREAT (Treatment methodologies)
  (headed by the Centre for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, University of Hamburg, Germany)
  TREAT is facilitating the introduction of effective treatment methods for drug addicts. Key measures are:
• Development and promotion of modern forms of addiction treatment in the health systems and in prisons, using training, workshops and conferences
• Study visits for experts from the five partner countries to familiarise them with modern treatment measures for drug addicts in the EU
• Introduction of evaluation systems and methods to measure the effectiveness of different treatments used
• Awareness raising on the topic of drug treatment and mobilisation of political support for sustainable treatment services.
• MEDISSA (Media and dissemination strategies)
  (headed by the National Bureau for Drug Prevention, Poland)
  MEDISSA supports national information and prevention campaigns against drug abuse, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Key measures are:
• Development of target group-specific information material and communication strategies for multipliers such as journalists, teachers and local opinion leaders
• Support for local prevention and education networks
• Support for the establishment of a drug abuse information service

Further information

• Central Asia Drug Action Programme (CADAP)
  http://www.cadap.eu