The High Price Of Addicton

Drug and alcohol problems seem to be increasing in Africa but treatment is often scarce and steep.

- Les Tilley

Brian Muhumuza, a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for more than three years, is a refugee in Johannesburg, because there are no rehabilitation centers in his home country of Uganda.

“When I wanted to stop drinking at around 25, the only option I had for help was the church. I thought then that if my only option was religion, I would rather just drink through my problem.”

Fortunately, Muhumuza’s mother worked at a medical facility and was able to provide medication while he attempted to stop drinking.

Muhumuza is fortunate. He is one of the few who managed to get treatment. For most, treating an addiction is either inaccessible or unaffordable.

Around 5% of the world’s adults, or nearly 250 million people between the ages of 15 and 64, used at least one drug in 2014, according to the latest World Drug Report released last year by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

It reported that the number of people classified as suffering from drug use disorders has increased disproportionally for the first time in six years. There are now over 29 million people within this category (compared to the previous figure of 27 million). Additionally, around 12 million people inject drugs, with 14% of these living with HIV, according to the report which was released in June 2016.

The report highlights a strong link between poverty and drug problems. Indeed, the brunt of the drug use problem is borne by people who are poor in relation to the societies in which they live, as can be seen in stark terms in wealthier countries.

“The strong association between social and economic disadvantage and drug use disorders can be seen when analysing different aspects of marginalization and social exclusion, such as unemployment and low levels of education.”