War on Drugs does not matter but Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment capacity matters in Bangladesh
Background: Drug abuse is a chronic socio-economic problem in Bangladesh. In 2019, the National Institute of Mental Health estimated 3.6 million drug users in Bangladesh. The number of drug users is increasing rapidly among youth group of 18 to 45 years in Bangladesh which is a great threat to capitalize the demographic dividend for national development in Bangladesh specially for making them productive workforce force. In 2018, the government of Bangladesh launched a war on drugs to curve the drug supply and abuse but it was not effective rather it caused significant number death and imprisoned thousands of drug users/peddlers into jail.
Method: As per Narcotics Control Act of 1990, the drug use in Bangladesh is crime and the penalties (including death sentence) for drug-related offences. On the other hand, as per treatment policy/rights, the substance use disorder is mental sickness and they have the right to access treatment services. There was no national guide line on Substance Use Disorder (SUD)s treatment for public and hundreds of private drug treatment centres. Considering the needs UN Agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs) and network people use drugs raised voice to Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) organizing various advocacy, consultation and seminar to ensure the treatment rights of drug users developing a national guideline on SUD treatment. After conducting series of advocacy meeting and consultation by CSOs, Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) formed a national technical working group (TWG) for development of a national guideline on SUD treatment in 2022.
Results: After forming the TWG in 2022, the group members have been working rigorously to develop the draft national guideline on SUD treatment following narcotics law 2019 and global treatment protocols and guidelines for effective SUD treatment in Bangladesh. The TWG members sits together bi-monthly to review the treatment module write up and as well as its quality and progress. Finally, TWG members completed the development of national guideline on SUD treatment in 2023 and submitted to MoHA for approval and to take next course of actions. Now MoHA is planning to provide capacity strengthening training to public and to 367 private treatment centres following this national guideline which will ensure affordable and quality SUD treatment services to drug users. This is first time in Bangladesh.
Conclusion: In Bangladesh, most of drug users are from poor and lower middle-class family and they have limitation to bear the treatment cost from private drug treatment centres. These drug users and their partners are especially vulnerable for communicable and non-communicable diseases. Unfortunately, there is huge treatment scarcities both at public and private service centres against 3.6 million drug users. This national guideline will create a new opportunity to access the affordable and quality drug treatment services from public and private drug treatment centres.
