By Michaella Faith Wright
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) Report 2024 in Banjul, The Gambia, marking a renewed effort to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking through evidence-based data and regional collaboration.
The report, the fifth of its kind, provides a detailed overview of drug use and trafficking trends across ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania. It highlights that while progress has been made in increasing access to treatment and prevention, challenges such as limited funding, shortage of trained personnel, and low public awareness continue to hinder progress.
Delivering a statement on behalf of the Minister of Interior, Abdoulie Sanyang, officials described the launch as “a critical milestone in our collective efforts to provide evidence-based approaches to addressing the menace posed by substance abuse disorders, especially among young people.” Sanyang emphasized that the report would help guide The Gambia and other member states in developing “effective, youth-targeted, and compassionate interventions,” adding that “no nation can achieve its development aspirations in the presence of drug abuse, illicit trafficking, and related organized crime.”
According to the report, cannabis remains the most commonly seized drug across the region, while synthetic substances such as tramadol and kush are emerging as major threats in The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria.
The Director General of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency, The Gambia (DLEAG), Demba Ceesay, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the WENDU project, saying, “Our participation has helped strengthen our strategic response through a balanced and integrated approach between supply suppression and drug demand reduction.”
ECOWAS Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Dr. Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, revealed that “ECOWAS has invested over USD 1.4 million in treatment and data systems, trained more than 200 specialists, and provided direct support to 14 Member States.”
The event also featured an inspection of the first ECOWAS-funded drug treatment and rehabilitation center in The Gambia, now 90 percent complete and expected to serve as a regional model for recovery and reintegration.
By Michaella Faith Wright The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) Report 2024 in Banjul, The Gambia, marking a renewed effort to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking through evidence-based data and regional collaboration. The report, the fifth of its kind, provides a The Fatu Network
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