UNODC, NACADA help Seychelles set up National Drug Observatory |14 December 2022

Guests and participants in a souvenir photograph

Boniface Wilunda from the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Morris Kamenderi from Kenya’s National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) are in Seychelles this week to help the Ministry of Health set up its National Drug Observatory (NDO).

“The aim of the NDO is to enhance government’s international drug-reporting obligations and support evidence-based policy decisions on drugs,” stated Mr Wilunda.

Present at the launch of the stakeholders meeting were the principal secretary for Health, Dr Bernard Valentin and senior management staff of the Division for Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation.

“The setting up of the National Drug Observatory is in line with the provisions of the National Drug Control Masterplan,” said the director general of the Division, Marie Josette Louis, in her address to mark the opening of the week-long stakeholders meeting taking place as of Monday December 12 at the Reflecs3 Centre of the Seychelles Police Force.

The National Drug Observatory will collect, analyze and disseminate data on drug supply and demand and by extension provide sound evidence for needed policy actions to influence supply and demand and hence reduce the harm on Seychelles population.

“Drugs and alcohol continue to affect a large percentage of our population. They continue to have major health social and economic consequences on individuals, families and communities,” emphasised the director general in her address.

The director general urged focal persons from the various ministries, departments and agencies to continue to be fully engaged with the process of setting up the NDO.

“Seychelles is working towards a National Drug Observatory that will, first and foremost, serve the needs of Seychelles,” she added.

Press release from the Ministry of Health