Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

28 February 2025

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Partners, and colleagues,

As this policy dialogue on strengthening the public health response to substance use draws to a close, I am heartened by the dedication and commitment you have shown over the past three days, as articulated in the consensus statement agreed today.

I want to personally thank you for the lively debate on this very difficult issue. Tackling addiction requires commitment, both at the individual and societal levels.

It is high time that the issue of substance use is recognised and addressed as the major public health challenge that it is, rather than being treated as a matter for law enforcement.

Stigma, discrimination against individuals with substance use disorder, and the criminalisation of drug use contribute to a substantial treatment gap―currently over 92%―in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

We need strong leadership at the levels of government, public health, and drug control authorities to address this critical issue with robust, coordinated and evidence-based interventions.

First, we must strengthen policy and regulatory frameworks addressing substance use.

Second, we must strengthen health systems to improve access to services and the availability of care for people with substance use disorders.

Third, we must improve health literacy and set up national prevention systems with coordination and collaboration across sectors to maximise impact.

Fourth, we must strengthen monitoring, surveillance and evidence generation.

For example, integrating interventions into national universal health coverage benefit packages will ensure sustainable resource availability and expand access to services such as prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation.

We will need to ensure that the health and social care workforce is equipped to deal with substance use and to provide holistic patient-centred care across the continuum of care.

We can do this by integrating substance use into undergraduate and in-service trainings for health and social care professionals; developing post-graduate addiction medicine programmes; and making essential medications available and accessible while ensuring that non-medical use is avoided.

I want to reiterate here―on behalf of UN agencies―our commitment to providing technical support for these efforts. Our goal is to minimise harm, make treatment accessible, and promote recovery and reintegration.

I take this opportunity to announce the establishment of a Strategic and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) on Substance Use.

Comprising experts from both within and outside the Region, this group will provide guidance and support to countries in developing and setting up evidence-based policies, regulations and services underpinned by robust monitoring and evaluation.

I am also pleased to announce the launch of the Regional Mental Health and Substance Use Coalition comprising civil society organisations active in the field of mental health and substance use.

This coalition will promote literacy around substance use and counter stigma by engaging with and empowering people with lived experience.

An interactive platform hosted by the Global Mental Health Action Network has been developed in collaboration with United for Global Mental Health, which is set to become fully operational in April, ahead of the 6th Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit in Doha.

I heard loud and clear your ask for support in launching your own national dialogues on substance use, and in establishing the appropriate governance and coordination structures and mechanisms for national programmes.

WHO will support you in developing balanced national action plans; reviewing legislation and regulatory frameworks; setting up prevention systems; strengthening harm reduction, treatment and recovery services; and providing technical assistance for monitoring, data collection and reporting.

I heard loud and clear your desire to exchange best practice, and to forge partnerships with centres of excellence in other countries and regions. We will also support this.

Finally, I hope the momentum generated here will empower you to implement the priority actions you have identified. This will enable us to decisively reduce the morbidity, mortality, and social burden of substance use across the Eastern Mediterranean.