 The Virtual Conference on Drug Demand Reduction in Africa - Prevention, Treatment and Epidemiology was convened through a series of six plenary sessions beginning September 16, 2020, through to November 10, 2020.
The Virtual Conference on Drug Demand Reduction in Africa - Prevention, Treatment and Epidemiology was convened through a series of six plenary sessions beginning September 16, 2020, through to November 10, 2020.
Plenary 1: Setting the Scene for Drug Demand reduction in Africa
Date: September 16, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 4:10 pm South Africa time
Plenary Chair: Jeff Lee and Livia Edegger, ISSUP Global
Schedule
Conference Welcome and Introduction:
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	Jeff Lee, Senior Consultant, ISSUP Global 
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	Livia Edegger, Deputy Director, ISSUP Global 
Setting the Scene:
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	Roger Weimann - President, ISSUP SA; Director, SANCA Eastern Cape 
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	Joanna Travis-Roberts - Chief Executive, ISSUP Global 
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	Brian Morales - Branch Chief Counternarcotics, Office of Global Programs and Policies (INL/GPP) 
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	Ambassador Adam Namm - Executive Secretary, Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), Organization of the American States (OAS) 
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	Ms Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu - Deputy Minister, Republic of South Africa Department of Social Development (DSD) 
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	Her Excellency Amira Elfadil - Commissioner for Social Affairs, African Union Commission (AUC) 
Global Perspective – A Global Overview of Drug Use
- Chloé Carpentier - Chief, Drug Research Section, Research Branch, UNODC
- Giovanna Campello - Chief, Prevention, Treatment & Rehabilitation Section, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Continental Perspective – An Overview of Drug Use in Africa
- Dr Jane Marie Ong’olo - Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups and Drug Control, African Union Commission
African Union Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (2019-2023)
- Dr Abel Basutu - Senior Drug Control Programme Officer, African Union Commission
Global Initiatives by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, US State Department
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	William McGlynn - Senior Advisor, Office of Global Policy and Programs, Drug Demand Reduction, INL, U.S. Department of State 
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	Bruno Bui - Foreign Affairs Officer, Office of Global Policy and Programs, Drug Demand Reduction, INL, U.S. Department of State 
Regional Perspective – Latin America and the Caribbean
- Marya Hynes - Chief, Inter-American Observatory on Drugs, CICAD
Summary and Invitation to Send Comments and Questions Arising from Inputs
Plenary 2: Evidence-based Prevention: Policy and Practice
Date: September 22, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 4:10 pm South Africa time
Plenary Chair: David Bayever, ISSUP South Africa
Schedule
What Constitutes Evidence-Based Prevention?
- Jeff Lee - Senior Consultant, ISSUP
Global Prevention Standards
- Giovanna Campello - Chief, Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section, UNODC
Media-Based Prevention Programmes
- William D. Crano - Oskamp Professor of Social Psychology, Division of Behavioral and Organizational Science, Claremont Graduate University, USA
Alcohol Use Prevention (data on alcohol use, environmental prevention initiatives):
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	Maristela Monteiro - Regional Advisor on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) *Focus on the Latin America & the Caribbean 
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	Professor Neo Morojele - Professor and Acting HOD, Department of Psychology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa 
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	Professor Nazarius Tumwesigye - Associate Professor and Head of Department, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Makerere University School of Public Health, Uganda 
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	René Adams - Programme Manager, Substance Abuse Prevention and Drug Control Rehabilitation Division, Social Welfare Services Directorate, Ministry of Health and Social Services, Namibia 
Question & Answer Session
Plenary 3: A Focus on Treatment and Recovery
Date: October 6, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 4:10 pm South Africa time
Plenary Chair: Kim Johnson, ICUDDR
Schedule
Treatment Standards
- Anja Busse - Programme Officer, Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section, Drug Prevention and Health Branch, UNODC
Service Quality Measurements in Treatment Facilities
- Professor Bronwyn Myers - Chief Specialist Scientist, Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council
Best Practices in Treatment and UTC training in Africa
- George Murimi - Training Coordinator for Africa, Colombo Plan DAP Credentialing and Certification
- Becky Vaughn - Director, Global Centre for Credentialing and Certification (GCCC), Colombo Plan DAP
Case Studies of Treatment Programmes in Latin America/Caribbean and Africa
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	Bawo O. James - Consultant mental health physician and a certified addiction treatment specialist, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria 
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	Yuri Cutipé - Executive Director of Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Peru Question & Answer Session 
Plenary 4: Epidemiology and Its Role in Drug Demand Reduction
Date: October 20, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 4:10 pm South Africa time
Plenary Chair: Dr. Reychad Abdool, African Union Commission
Schedule
A Continental Overview of Drug Epidemiology in Africa
- Professor Isidore Obot - Director, Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse, Nigeria
Regional Perspectives
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	Dr Olubusayo Akinola - Programme Officer, Drug Demand Reduction, ECOWAS Commission 
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	Nadine Harker Burnhams - Research Scientist, South African Medical Research Council, SENDU/SACENDU 
Overview of Drug Epidemiology in Latin America & Caribbean
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	Pernell Clarke - Research Specialist, Inter-American Observatory on Drugs, CICAD - Caribbean 
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	Roberto Canay - Co-President, ISSUP Argentina - Latin America 
Synchronising Global Drug Epidemiology Data Collection
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	Chloé Carpentier - Chief, Drug Research Section, Research Branch, UNODC 
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	Enrico Bisogno - Chief, Data Development and Dissemination Unit, UNODC 
Question & Answer Session
Plenary 5: Role of Legislators and Traditional Health Practitioners in Drug Demand Reduction
Date: November 4, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 4:10 pm South Africa time
Plenary Chair: Government of South Africa
Schedule
Role of the Legislator in Drug Demand Reduction
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	Senator Mattie Hunter - Illinois State Senator, USA 
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	Advocate Luyanda Mtshotshisa - State Prosecutor, South Africa (TBC) 
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	Senator Héctor Yépez Martínez – Ecuador 
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	Hon Seth Kwame Acheampong - Chairman, Defence and Interior Committee, Parliament of Ghana 
Role of Traditional Health Practitioners and Leaders in Drug Demand Reduction (Roundtable Discussion)
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	Dr. Pelmos Mashabela- Deputy Chairperson of the Central Drug Authority, South Africa 
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	Dr Goodman Sibeko – Director of ITTC; Head, Division of Addiction Psychiatry, University of Cape Town 
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	Dr David Basangwa, Uganda 
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	Representatives from other African Countries (Mauritius, Kenya) 
Q&A Session
Plenary 6: Review and Reflections: A Panel Session
Date: November 10, 2020
Time: 2:00 – 4:10 pm South Africa time
Plenary Chairs:  ISSUP Global
Schedule
A panel session to respond to questions and issues arising from the previous 5 plenaries.
Panel members:
- Republic of South Africa (Dr. Pelmos Mashabela, Deputy Chairperson, CDA)
- African Union Commission (Jane Marie Ong’olo, Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups and Drug Control)
- ISSUP South Africa (Roger Weimann, President
- South Africa Central Drug Authority (CDA) (David Bayever, Chairperson)
- ISSUP Global (Joanna Travis-Roberts, Chief Executive)
- ISSUP Global (Jeff Lee, Senior Consultant)
- ISSUP Global (Livia Edegger, Deputy Director)
- INL (William McGlynn, Senior Advisor)
- CICAD (Jimena Kalawski, Chief, Demand Reduction)
- Colombo Plan DAP (Thom Browne, CEO)
- GCCC (Becky Vaughn, Director)
- UNODC (Giovanna Campello, Chief, Prevention, Treatment & Rehabilitation Section)
- ICUDDR (Dr. Kim Johnson, Executive Director)
- ITTC (Dr. Goodman Sibeko, Director/Head, Division of Addiction Psychiatry, University of Cape Town)
Plenary Chair: ISSUP - Joanna Travis-Roberts/Livia Edegger
Welcome and Introductions
I. African Perspective
| Title | Discussion Question | |
| AUC Jane Marie Ong’olo | Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups and Drug Control | Please cite an example of what makes the experience of Africa unique and common to all other continents in terms of Drug Demand Reduction | 
| CICAD Jimena Kalawski | Chief, Demand Reduction | Perspective from Latin America/ Caribbean | 
| ISSUP South Africa Roger Weimann | President, ISSUP South Africa | Perspective from South Africa | 
| AUC Jane Marie Ong’olo | Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups and Drug Control | Please comment on the Role of Traditional Health Practitioners and Leaders in DDR in Africa | 
II. Prevention
| Panel Representative | Title | Discussion Question | 
| ISSUP Global Jeff Lee | Senior Consultant | Most people do not understand the importance of prevention, or the important points that are in the Prevention Standards. How do we help them understand? | 
| UNODC Giovanna Campello | Chief Prevention, Treatment & Rehabilitation Section | Currently during the COVID-19 pandemic many risk factors are increased, and our access to people is reduced. Can you provide any tips on prevention measures to address these risk factors in these pandemic conditions? | 
| ITTC South Africa Dr. Goodman Sibeko | Head, Division of Addiction Psychiatry, University of Cape Town | Discuss the importance of prevention and the Prevention Standards from the African perspective | 
III. Treatment
| Panel Representative | Title | Discussion Question | 
| Colombo Plan DAP Thom Browne | CEO | In light of the COVID-19 pandemic has there been an escalation of substance abuse disorders and their associated impacts? | 
| African Union Commission Jane Marie Ong’Olo | Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups and Drug Control | Response from an African perspective | 
| Central Drug Authority David Bayever | Chairperson | Response from a South African perspective | 
IV. Professionalising the Workforce
| Panel Representative | Title | Discussion Question | 
| ICUDDR Dr. Kim Johnson | Executive Director | What is the importance in light of the issues discussed in the conference, of professionalising the workforce? | 
| GCCC Becky Vaughn | Director 
 | Perspective from Global Centre for Credentialing and Certification | 
| ISSUP SA Roger Weimann | President | Perspective from South Africa | 
V. Closing Remarks
| Panel Representative | Title | Closing Remarks | 
| INL Bill McGlynn 
 | Senior Advisor Office of Global Policy and Programs, DDR | Closing Remarks - INL | 
| AUC Jane Marie Ong’Olo | Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups and Drug Control | Closing Remarks - AUC | 
| Central Drug Authority Dr Pelmos Mashabela | Deputy Chairperson 
 | Closing Remarks – Government of South Africa | 
| ISSUP SA Roger Weimann | President 
 | Closing Remarks – ISSUP South Africa | 
| CICAD Jimena Kalawski | Chief, Demand Reduction | Closing Remarks – CICAD | 
| Colombo Plan DAP Thom Browne | CEO | Closing Remarks – Colombo Plan DAP | 
| ISSUP Global Joanna Travis-Roberts | Chief Executive 
 | Closing Remarks – ISSUP Global | 
 
  