Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN) Organized Lagos Workshop on Addiction Prevention

Background

Making the health of Nigerians a priceless treasure is the core mandate of Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN). This continued to be pursued by not only providing health care services for the sick but by also instituting interventions that both prevents the onset of illness and promotes wellness. The last two facets of the activities of IMAN are well represented in the area of addiction prevention. This is because both addiction and its consequences are on the rise in Nigeria. For instance, two nationwide studies on drugs abuse showed an increase in the rate of the most commonly used illicit substance – cannabis – in Nigeria (Adamson et al. 2015; Gureje et. al. 2007).

Furthermore, the more recent of the two studies showed that cannabis, cocaine and injecting drugs were the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the three northern geopolitical zones which were alcohol, heroine/opiates, and cigarettes/other tobacco products in the three southern geopolitical regions of Nigeria (Adamson et al. 2015). A very recent educational intervention study in selected Lagos secondary schools revealed the most commonly abused substance to be Indian hemp, (56.4%), followed by cannabis (47.5%), alcohol (47%) and cigarette (31.4%). Most of these students were between the ages of 14-17 years (unpublished).

The consequences of substance abuse include low attention span, poor memoryand unclear thought process amongst others. As a result, students who usedrugs may do poorly in school or even drop out. They end up becoming adults whomight have trouble with their work performance and maintaining employment. Inaddition, social relationships regardless of age could suffer.

Many youths are homeless, wanderers, thugs, rapist, armed robbers and so onbecause they are addicts. A lot of lives and properties have been lost inaccident and violence because of substance abuse. These youths that are supposed to be useful to themselves and be the hope of their families and the society at large and have wasted their lives as a result of drug addiction.The above picture points to the reason why IMAN Lagos, without slowing down in meeting the health care needs of the ill is also intensifying actions in addiction prevention to meet the wellness drive of both those with and without pathology. It is our belief that by tackling addiction onset in vulnerable youths, it will be reducing the incidence of drug addiction and promoting sound health in Nigerian citizens. In order for us to effectively achieve this goal, we are partnering with the Nigerian Green Crescent Health Development Initiative (GHI).

Addiction prevention falls into the following domains: individual, family, peer, school and community. For these domains to succeed in preventing addiction onset there is need for training local partners like health workers, school teachers/counsellors, parents, students, volunteers and the media. This training will empower these local partners to step down the skills/intervention at the local level as trainers and advocates. This approach we believe will facilitate trajectory for the exponential growths of the IMAN addiction prevention program.

Follow Up Activities

To assist interested organizations to set up addiction treatment centres.

Increasing skills and capacity of trained partners to carry out addiction prevention program
Supporting trained partners program to achieve success in addiction prevention activities.

To collaborate with other critical stakeholders in addiction prevention

Title

Addiction Prevention Training Workshop

Workshop Goal

To increase capacity of participants in carrying out substance abuse prevention program

Target Audience

IMAN Members and interested healthcare professionals

Date

Sunday September 15, 2018

Length

One full day 8.00am – 5.00pm (About 9 Hours Total)

Workshop fee

Professional     (#5000)

Student           (#2500)

Payment Details

Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria Lagos

Gtbank - 0004859166

The workshop is organized in n collaboration with Green Crescent Health Development initiative Nigeria