TEHRAN –The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in close collaboration with the Iranian Drug Control Headquarters (DCHQ) and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME), has conducted a workshop to enhance the effectiveness of drug treatment in the country.

In a step towards addressing drug use disorders significant progress has been made in establishing widespread services for the treatment of drug use disorders over the past two decades in Iran, the UN website announced in a press release on June 12th.

Recognizing the need to improve further and bridge the gap between the medication-centered and the psychological and psychosocial interventions in drug treatment, the UNODC in Iran has taken proactive measures to address this problem in close cooperation with the national partners.

A crucial step in this endeavor was the recent organization of a comprehensive training workshop on “Assessment and Drug Use Disorders Treatment Counselling” in Tehran from June 9th to 12th.

The workshop aimed to utilize the invaluable resources of the TreatNet package, developed by the UNODC.

It covered essential aspects of drug dependence treatment, providing insights into evidence-based practices and equipping participants with the necessary skills for effective counseling in the context of drug use disorders.

The capacity and knowledge of the participants; counselors and treatment professionals of the MoHME and the State Welfare Organization in Tehran and Alborz provinces, on the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) screening and brief intervention basic counseling skills for the treatment of drug use dependence and basic principles of motivational interviewing were increased through a hands-on training workshop.

Majid Qorbani, the Director General of the Treatment and Social Support Office of the DCHQ, emphasized the workshop’s alignment with Iran’s national approach and roadmap to drug treatment.

He highlighted the goal of integrating non-pharmacological approaches, based on scientific evidence, with pharmacological treatments to develop more comprehensive and effective treatment plans.

Qorbani emphasized the importance of experts’ knowledge and expertise in drug treatment, especially in counseling and understanding evidence-based approaches to motivate and retain clients. He acknowledged the intensified efforts supported by UNODC Iran in achieving this goal.

Alexander Fedulov, UNODC Iran Country Representative, expressed his appreciation for the Iranian government’s dedicated efforts in combating drug use disorders.

He assured that UNODC Iran, as the leading UN agency in the country’s drug control initiatives, remains committed to assisting service providers and individuals affected by illicit drugs, regardless of the circumstances.

This commitment is upheld through the agency’s assistance under the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Iran and its Country Partnership Program.
The collaborative partnership between UNODC Iran and its national stakeholders holds great promise for advancing Iran’s drug treatment initiatives and better responding to the challenges posed by drug use disorders.

By combining international expertise with local knowledge, this joint effort aims to enhance the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of drug treatment services in Iran.

This collaboration owes its success to the generous funding by the Netherlands, enabling the realization of shared objectives and the advancement of impactful initiatives.

Cooperation on drug-related issues

In May, the UNODC and the Iranian law enforcement force explored ways to boost cooperation in areas related to drug trafficking and drug-related crimes.

During a meeting between Fedulov, and Director General of Iranian Interpol Brigadier General Majid Karimi, the two officials revised the activities under implementation, and discussed the scope and perspective of future cooperation, the UN website announced in a press release on May 1.

In this meeting, Fedulov briefed the Iranian side on the recent activities and procurements conducted by UNODC Iran under the generous funds received from the UNODC traditional donors.

He reiterated the readiness of the UNODC to delegate technical and procurement support to the Islamic Republic of Iran under the UNODC Iran Country Partnership Program with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Brigadier General Karimi, for his part,  stated that drugs are obviously one of the pillars of the UNODC mandate as reflected in its name, though various topics on crimes could also be addressed by this Office, and inter alia he suggested cooperation to address challenges posed by drug trafficking and drug-related crimes.

This meeting was organized as part of the activities foreseen in the framework of sub-program 1 “Border Management and Illicit Trafficking” and sub-program 2 “Crime, Corruption, and Criminal Justice” of the UNODC Country Partnership Program for the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Addressing drug use issues

The UNODC and its national stakeholders including the Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), conducted a two-day training program to enhance ongoing initiatives for addressing drug use issues among inmates.

The Iranian Drug Control Headquarters and the Iranian Prisons Organization also participated in rolling out the program, the UN website announced in a press release on May 28.

Topics covered during the two-day program included rapid HIV testing, evaluation of high-risk behaviors, assessment of quality of life and treatment satisfaction, and an in-depth review of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI).

The United Nations program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework (UBRAF) grant, funded the study titled “A Comparative Research Study of Evaluating the Efficacy of Buprenorphine with Methadone Substitution Therapy in Prisons.”

Iran faces a grave challenge in drug abuse, grappling with one of the highest rates of opiate use worldwide, alongside a significant prevalence of amphetamine-type stimulant abuse, the website reported.

In response, opioid substitution therapy (OST) has emerged as a proven intervention, replacing illicit drug use with medically prescribed, orally administered opiates such as buprenorphine and methadone.

While methadone maintenance therapy has been the cornerstone of OST for the past two decades, the introduction of buprenorphine in recent years calls for a comparative research study to gauge its effectiveness in this unique setting.

During the training program, national partners emphasized the alignment of this training with the country’s overarching policies, which aim to diversify the treatment portfolio and promote Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment (BMT) as a replacement for Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) within prison facilities.

The importance of enhancing the expertise of professionals working with inmates, and facilitating accurate data collection to evaluate the effectiveness of BMT, thereby significantly influencing the country’s treatment roadmap was highlighted.

Fedulov, expressed his appreciation for the implementation of this comparative research study on the effectiveness of methadone and buprenorphine maintenance therapies within the prison setting.

Acknowledging the substantial number of inmates benefiting from opioid substitution therapy in Iran, currently exceeding 80,000 individuals, he noted the significance of this research endeavor.

The training brought together experts well-versed in drug use disorders from the provinces of North Khorasan, Kordestan, Khuzestan, and Fars.

This collaborative endeavor between UNODC Iran and its national stakeholders holds promise for advancing Iran’s drug treatment initiatives within correctional facilities and among inmates.

By conducting a comprehensive comparative study on the efficacy of buprenorphine and methadone maintenance therapies, the project aims to enhance evidence-based and informed critical decisions regarding inmate care and the future direction of drug treatment in Iran.

The UNODC works towards advocating for harm reduction programs within the Iranian penitentiary system, specifically targeting individuals with drug dependencies.

The organization promotes a human rights-based, gender-responsive, public health-centered, and evidence-based approach, aiming to eliminate stigma, discrimination, and violence within these facilities.

MT/MG