REPORT ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD DRUGS DAY IN TANZANIA HELD AT MBEYA REGION ON 26th June, 2014.
On 26th June, 2014 at 1015 hrs on Thursday, Tanzania joined with other international communities to mark the anniversary of World Drugs Day which was held in Mbeya region.
On this special occasion, governmental ministries agencies and departments, Civil Society Organizations and Community Based Organizations were involved to participate and contribute towards a collaborative response for harm reduction as the nation needs joint efforts to prevent harms from drug use.
The government ministries and non-government organizations which were involved in the commemoration included: Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Economy, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Ministry of Constitution and Legal Justice, Ministry of Women, Children and Gender Development, Ministry of the Presidential Office Public Services Management.
Government Chemistry Laboratory Agency, Tanzania Revenue Authority, Tanzania Foods and Drugs Control Authority, the Drugs Control Commission, Tanzania Aids Prevention Program, Tanzania Network of People who Use Drugs and other Civil Society Organizations were there on the anniversary.
I was invited by the Muhimbili National Hospital and Allied Sciences, specifically, the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health as a Country Focal Point of the Law Enforcement And HIV Network (LEAHN) to participate in the anniversary.
His Excellency Dr Mohammed Gharib Billal, the Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, was the guest of honor and was accompanied by the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Policy, Planning and Parliament, Hon. William Lukuvi.
The vice president visited different huts of which representatives were there to give him explanation and to clarify some of the issues regarding to drugs and the way on how they relate to harm reduction and called upon the government to recognize their entire activities and support their day- to-day activities to support people impacted by drugs.
Brochures, magazines, hand books, booklets, pamphlets and fliers were there having different messages regarding to drugs related issues including “Support Don’t Punish”, “Love and Justice for All” from Tanzania Network of People who Use Drugs (TanPUD). “Life without Drug use is Possible” from Youth and Community Rehabilitation organization, and “Methadone can really work, what are you waiting for?” from the Tanzania Aids Prevention Program (TAPP), Protect Children. A number of other organizations made representations about different ways to reduce harm from drug use.
CONFESSIONS ON THE UTILITY OF METHADONE
Two men were brave to discuss their experiences with drug use and the benefits of methadone in front of the H.E Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, all the people who came to the anniversary, as well as to the general public because radio and television representatives were reporting on the event.
Very Kunamb, from Tanzania Network of People who Use Drugs (TaNPUD), was the first person to make speak about his historical ground on how he came into drug use – particularly injecting drug. He also explained about effects and challenges he experienced when he was injecting drugs with his colleagues in the ghetto (DAGO) for a number of years. He was not trusted by his own family who was scared that his presence could lead some loss in the family and indeed stigma was very high whenever he passed through many places where people would call and point with their fingers ‘TEJA ANAPITA’ (Drug User is passing). He later on started using methadone in Muhimbili National Hospital in the Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry as the way forward which enabled him to stop using drugs. He called upon the government to consider drug users as SICK PEOPLE who needs help from the government and the society in general and they should be facilitated to reach the health services.
Rehema Chalamira, well known as RAY C, this was a famous Musician in Tanzania Bongo Flavor, she said she became famous at the age of 17 years old and was able to live a happy life, buying good cars and constructing and buying good houses. She finally had a boyfriend to whom she trusted much and he was the one whom trapped her into drug use. She realized that using drugs was not affecting her alone, but also caused embarrassment to her family and society in general. She became burden to her family and sold everything so that she be able to buy drugs, she dropped from hero to zero. She thanked H.E President of the United Republic of Tanzania Dr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete for saving her life by enabling her to reach health services and she is now using methadone along Mwananyamal Referral Hospital. She is the founder of her own organisation known as RAY C FOUNDATION, dealing with harm reduction activities by sensitizing youth do not engage with drug abuse and also calling upon love and care to drug users have significant impacts to make community safer rather than stigma.
SPEECH OF THE GUEST OF HONOUR
H.E Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania Dr. Mohammed Ghalib Billal gave his speech during the commemoration of World Drug Day along the CCM Stadium in Mbeya region. He joined the statement of this year Manifesto anniversary “Drug Addiction Can be Controlled and Treated Take Action” and called upon the need for the government to invest more in harm reduction program, methadone in particular because of the scientific and anecdotal evidence available. He noted that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS (TB) and HEPATITIS C & B among the drug users in Tanzania highlighted the urgent need for harm reduction interventions, thus, he called upon the government organs concerned to deal with harm reduction immediately to support the current and future generations from the harms associated with drug use. In addition, he said that the success of harm reduction generally depends upon the effective collaboration among stakeholders to have mutual agreements as the way forward.
SUGGESTION.
There is a need for Law Enforcement Agencies to put in place the program of harm reduction intervention as a humanitarian approach aiming to protect people’s life without changing our core function of enforcing law. It should also be much sensitized that the war against preventing and combating drug abuse has three main parts, including Supplier Reduction, Demand Reduction and Harm Reduction.
Within those three main parts no doubts that Law Enforcers have to intervene in every aspects thus there is no reasons as to why they are hesitant to involve in harm reduction meanwhile they have a critical role in the remaining parts.
PREPARED BY: ABDALLAH KIRUNGU
LEAHN COUNTRY FOCAL POINT TZ
Thank you for sharing Inspector Kirungu. I applaud all those who made this important day such a success. Tanzania is making very good progress in addressing issues related to drug use/abuse thanks to the Governments support but also thanks to focal people like Inspector Kirungu who are on the frontline to make sure that law enforcement agencies are not left behind in efforts aimed at helping people who use drugs. The testimonies of Mr. Very Kunambi and Ms. Rehema Chalamila “Ray C”, indeed gave a message of hope to millions of Tanzanians who are affected by drug use. Drug use disorders are indeed preventable and treatable.
prof premraj pushpakaran writes — let us celebrate World Drug Day!!!