National Drug Authority, Church of Uganda ink MOU to fight drug abuse among the youth

The National Drug Authority has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Church of Uganda (COU) in the effort to end drug and substance abuse among the population of Uganda through a scaled-up collaboration. The partnership with the Anglican church with over 13 million believers coincided with the visit of Archbishop of COU - The Most Rev Dr. Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu who inspected NDA’s quality control laboratory in Mulago, Kampala.

NDA has been deploying a multipronged approach including; creating and enhancing collaborations, physical and virtual engagements, use of Information Education and Communication tools and conduct of research to end drug and substance abuse especially among the youths. NDA has been working with COU especially with the Northern Uganda Diocese and this MOU will widen her collaboration with COU that is affiliated with several other institutions including schools, universities and media platforms.

NDA’s Board Chairman Dr. Medard Bitekyerezo said that they have been working with COU especially with the Northern Uganda Diocese and this MOU will widen  their collaboration with COU that is affiliated with several other institutions including schools, universities and media platforms.

“We have been deploying a multipronged approach including; creating and enhancing collaborations, physical and virtual engagements, use of Information Education and Communication tools and conduct of research to end drug and substance abuse especially among the youths.” he said

Faith based institutions are well positioned to reach almost all Ugandans as most of Ugandans have a religious inclination. The COU for a long time has exhibited strong stand against drug and substance abuse its teachings and this MOU will synergize NDA and the COU capabilities to reach many more Ugandans with the message of preventing drug and substance abuse.

The Most Rev Dr. Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu said “The ultimate objective of this partnership is to help youths in secondary schools of over 630 avoid initiation into the use of drugs and if they have already started, help them to stop it.”

NDA has been working with  key institutions like the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Internal Affairs, United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Institutions of learning (including secondary and tertiary), Community Based Organizations to create awareness about drug and substance abuse that continues to pose serious challenges to health as it is the biggest contributor to the spike in mental illness and negatively impacts on social and economic well-being of young people in Uganda.

Uganda signed and ratified the United Nations (UN) Narcotic Convention and Uganda has a narcotic law passed in April 2015 which all criminalize substance abuse. As the drug regulator, NDA is committed to safeguarding the appropriate use of drugs as a way of promoting and protecting healthcare as emphasized by the National Drug Policy and Authority Act Cap 2000.

Though in 2016, lawmakers proposed new regulations on alcohol sales, including limits on bars’ opening hours, and other drug regulations, drug abuse has been described as a problem especially among

marginal groups, who are unemployed.

According the report by Uganda Harm Reduction Network, Cannabis is mainly abused by street and school youth, as well as by soldiers; consumed by urban and street youth; cocaine abuse is prevalent among high income groups; Somali refugees and town youth abuse khat.

Based on the statistics from a Makerere University and Anti Narcotic department of Uganda Police study 2022 indicates that at least 16% of the youth in urban centers are under the influence of drugs.

Commissioner Anti-Narcotics Department Uganda Police, Tinka Zarugaba revealed that seized narcotic drug exhibits from suspected drug traffickers at Entebbe airport between 2019 and 2020 totaling to over 48.22kgs worth Shs778 million were burnt at the police barracks in Nsambya.

They included heroin, mixture of heroin and cocaine, mixture of cocaine and methamphetamine and cannabis, among others.