The Ministry of Health has set a target to have an 85 percent reduction in substance abuse, morbidity, and HIV cases linked to injectable drug use over the next five years.

Health Minister Doctor Atonio Lalabalavu says they are hoping to achieve this target through the harm reduction pillar which will be among the four pillars of the Counter-Narcotics Framework.

He says the increasing injectable drug use is now a significant issue in the country and the government through the Ministry of Health intends to have a Drug Rehabilitation Centre.

“The Ministry will need to tread carefully in terms of ensuring that services to be provided at the Drug Rehabilitation Centre are of local context. This process requires multi-pronged pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions including spiritual components under guidance of expert professionals.”

Health Minister Doctor Atonio Lalabalavu

Dr. Lalabalavu says while the Ministry is making use of available resources to manage current drug rehabilitation cases, there is still a need to clearly define the services that will be offered at the new centre.

“We need to ascertain what services will be offered at the Drug Rehabilitation Centre should we intend to have one. Facilitate access to medical therapies where appropriate, increase hospital-based counselling capacity at all large health facilities, create post-funding for at least one full-time counsellor and social worker, provide specific therapy training at each facility, ensure screening resources are available at all hospitals.”

Dr. Lalabalavu says the Ministry is also planning to provide specific therapy training at health facilities, ensure drug screening resources are available, and develop protocols for drug use reporting.

He adds they will seek funding and additional resources for this initiative in the next fiscal year.