Tuesday, September 15, 2020

San Juan, USAID ink deal to expand community-based drug rehab

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 15, 2020): San Juan, USAID ink deal to expand community-based drug rehab (By Lade Jean Kabagani)



ADDRESSING DRUG ADDICTION. San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora (right) and USAID Representative Ma. Regina Alampay (left) sign a memorandum of agreement on Tuesday (Sept. 15, 2020) to boost the community-based drug rehabilitation program in the city. The agreement is aimed at helping drug users regain their normal lives and enhance drug prevention initiatives within communities. (Screengrabbed from Mayor Zamora's Facebook live)

Recovery to drug addiction is possible and drug users could regain their normal lives, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said on Tuesday, as the city government signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to boost community-based drug rehabilitation program.

"Tayo po ay naniniwala na kahit sila po ay mga drug users ay meron pa rin po talagang malaking pagkakataon na baguhin nila ang kanilang buhay at bumalik sa normal ang kanilang kalagayan (We believe that drug users do have huge opportunities to change their lives and can go back to their normal lives)," Zamora said in a Facebook live.

Zamora said the agreement is aimed at helping drug users to regain their normal lives and enhance drug prevention initiatives within communities.

Meanwhile, Ma. Regina Alampay of USAID said the agreement includes the implementation of the RenewHealth project and expanding access to community-based drug rehabilitation.

The program could help drug users recover from addiction and live a healthy and productive life.

Under the MOA, the program targets to help drug users in the city obtain access to information, care, self-help, and community-based rehabilitation and recovery support.

It also allows the local government to implement an evidence-based and sensitive program for its drug-dependent residents.

The agreement said the USAID will be partnering with the city government to address drug dependency by expanding access to evidence-based and culturally-appropriate community-based drug treatment and recovery services.

On the other hand, Vice-Mayor Warren Villa assured the public that the local government will continue to address the problem of drug addiction in the city amid the prevailing health crisis.

The USAID will be providing technical assistance to the city government to ensure that the local strategies are aligned to the standards provided by the Dangerous Drugs Board and other regulations prescribed by the Department of Health and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Zamora said the city government is yet to release announcements related to the anti-drug abuse program.

"Ako ay naniniwala na malaking tulong po sa ating lungsod, lalung-lalo na sa mga San JuaneƱo nalulong na sa droga (I believe that this is a huge help to the city, particularly to those residents who were addicted to drugs)," he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1115529

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