by Peter Mutai
NAIROBI, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's health ministry said Thursday it has developed guidelines on substance use disorders treatment to help tackle drug abuse in the East African nation.
The Director of Mental Health Simon Njuguna said the National Substance Disorders Treatment Protocol, which will be launched on June 26, offers a useful guide for practitioners dealing with substance abuse that has increased in the recent past in the country.
"The protocol outlines the pharmacological treatment, psychosocial interventions and aftercare support," Njuguna said in a statement.
Njuguna said the protocol aims to assist the drug dependent to attain the highest level of personal, professional, familial and social functioning.
The move came as Kenya is experiencing an upsurge of international narcotic drug trafficking due to its strategic location in the East African region, leading to increased injecting drug users (IDUs).
Njuguna revealed that substance drug abuse in Kenya is alarming given that more than half of drug users are youth aged 10-19.
The protocol will be circulated to all health service providers countrywide for use in provision of standardized and quality healthcare services to drug users.
The drugs that are often abused in Kenya include cocaine, heroin, and other synthetic drugs that often leave consumers with problems related to impulse control. Enditem
