Concerted effort required to implement National Drug Control Master Plan

Mr Kaiffe Mensah, Board Chairman, Narcotics Control Commission, says a concerted effort is required to implement and achieve the objectives of the newly designed National Drug Control Master Plan.

He said efforts would be required by stakeholders, who were policy makers, planners, and implementers to eradicate drug-related harms in the communities.

Mr Mensah said this in a speech read for him by Madam Aba Jacqueline Opoku, a Member of the Board, during a validation workshop on the National Drug Control Master Plan in Accra.

The National Drug Control Master Plan will serve as a strategic document to provide a coherent framework for more comprehensive national drug prevention and control measures.

The Plan will provide the necessary evidence-based guidance to address drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking and related crimes in Ghana.

The Plan, when validated, will then be published and disseminated to relevant agencies, Civil Society Organisations and development partners.

He said with the unwavering commitment of all stakeholders, effective prevention, treatment, and control of drug-related problems could become a reality in Ghana.

The Board Chairman said the success of the implementation of the Master Plan also depended on the continued support of the government, communities, and corporate bodies to provide the necessary resources, infrastructure, and accountability.

He said reading through the document, it presented a shared role that the outlined strategies could contribute significantly towards addressing drug-related issues in the country.

Mr Mensah said as a policy guide, it outlined steps and efforts required to improve and professionalise the prevention responses and it would contribute immensely to tackling the social anathema that has plagued the whole country, fueling crime, spreading diseases, killing, and destroying the youth.

He said the guide would also help the Commission to play its crucial role as leading agency in creating the enabling conditions for efficient and effective intervention as well as to ensure a high-quality drug prevention response in Ghana.