Egypt was selected by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to present its experience in combating drug abuse during the 69th session of the International Narcotics Control Board meetings held at the UN building in Vienna from 9 to 13 March.
Egypt’s model was among seven leading international experiences showcased globally, alongside initiatives from Austria, Greece, Brazil, Norway, Algeria, and Ecuador.
Egypt’s selection to participate in the meetings reflects the country’s achievements in tackling drug abuse.
Its participation received broad international appreciation, said Amr Othman, director of the Egyptian Fund for Drug Control and the Treatment of Addiction, noting that the Egyptian delegation had presented an experience that reflected strong coordination among state institutions within the framework of the National Strategy for Combating Drugs and Reducing the Risks of Abuse and Addiction launched under the patronage of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi.
Egypt’s delegation included Mohamed Nasr, Egypt’s ambassador to Austria and permanent representative to the UN and international organisations in Vienna, and Mofid Fawzi, director of the General Administration for Drug Control.
During the session, Egypt highlighted the work of the Fund in prevention, particularly in newly developed housing areas, while the Interior Ministry’s General Administration for Drug Control reviewed efforts to reduce drug supply, Othman told Al-Ahram Weekly.
The Ministry of Health and Population also presented its experience in opioid substitution therapy.
Othman said the discussions during the meetings had reflected a highly complex global landscape in addressing illegal drug problems, with new patterns and successive waves of synthetic drugs emerging.
This underscored the growing challenge facing the international community and the need for more innovative and decisive responses, he said.
He added that in some cases illicit drugs have become a weapon used by some countries against others, leaving hundreds of thousands of victims worldwide each year. At the same time, a significant gap remains in treatment services, which reach only one out of every 12 patients suffering from addiction worldwide.
According to Othman, there are also growing calls to reconsider permissive approaches that advocate tolerance of drugs, particularly as the link between drug abuse and rising rates of violence and crime is becoming increasingly evident.
With political instability expanding in many parts of the world, drug-traffickers are finding fertile ground to expand their activities, requiring unconventional responses to confront them, Othman said.
Egypt’s leading regional role in this regard has expanded in recent years. Last year, the fund worked with the Arab League to develop an Arab plan for combating drugs. It has also provided technical support to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in cooperation with the UNODC to develop a Gulf anti-drug strategy that has been adopted by GCC leaders.
In addition, the Arab League has also designated the fund as an Arab centre for strengthening and coordinating efforts to address drug challenges across the Arab countries.
Othman said Egypt has made significant progress in the field over the past decade, particularly in legislation and prevention. The country has launched integrated awareness programmes using scientific methods targeting different age groups while also educating families to promote early detection and prevention.
He noted that Egypt has witnessed a major expansion in addiction treatment services. In 2014, the number of treatment centres affiliated with the fund did not exceed 12 in seven governorates. Today, there are 35 centres across 20 governorates providing treatment services in line with international standards.
Othman stressed that addiction treatment goes beyond detoxification and drug withdrawal and extends to psychological support, social rehabilitation, and economic empowerment. Recovered patients are trained in vocational skills needed in the labour market to support their reintegration into society.
The fund’s pavilion at the Vienna event featured an exhibition of products made by former women patients in cooperation with the Egyptian Decent Life Foundation, attracting attention from participating delegations for the quality of the Egyptian designs.
“Our programmes go beyond recovery,” Othman said. “We have adopted the slogan ‘from addiction to production,’ focusing not only on recovery but also on reintegrating recovered individuals into society.”
Economic empowerment programmes help reduce relapse and support social reintegration, he said.
He explained that the Egyptian model relies on several key pillars, foremost among them strengthening primary prevention and moving from awareness campaigns to prevention programmes within educational and youth institutions.
Family-focused initiatives are implemented under the slogan “prevention and early detection”, while educational and sports environments are developed to help young people resist a drug culture.
Religious institutions are also engaged in correcting misconceptions and raising awareness of the free addiction treatment services available in Egypt, which are provided confidentially and without discrimination in accordance with international standards.
Othman also highlighted Egypt’s experience in newly developed communities built to replace informal settlements, citing the Asmarat housing project as a successful model.
He referred to the CHAMPS initiative, which seeks to strengthen prevention for children up to the age of 18. The initiative is being implemented in Asmarat and in villages included in the presidential Decent Life initiative.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 19 March, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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