Addiction professionals meet to fight substance abuse

 

Evidence-based programmes on recovery, prevention and treatment for people suffering from Substance Use Disorders will soon be rolled out across the country, the Chief Health Officer, Alcohol and Substance Abuse Division in the Ministry of Health, Phenyo Sebonego has confirmed.

Sebonego said this at the Botswana Association of Addiction Professionals (BAAP), which hosts the Botswana chapter of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP)- one-week training for people in recovery and professionals working with people with Substance Use Disorders.

He said this is an initiative by BAAP and the government to fight substance abuse.

One of the trainees Tumelo Sengwane was proud of what the group had achieved in the training as they learnt about various approaches in addiction practice. They also learnt a lot from sharing experiences as their main goal is to sustain recovery and help others with substance use challenges.

Deputy Director in the Department of Social Protection in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Ellen Kgotlhang said that government is working on expanding these trainings to cover Social Workers across Botswana.

She noted that the training would enable them to be more skilled when working with families across the country. Kgotlhang said that some perpetrators commit GBV crimes under the influence of substances and this has to come to an end.

'Such trainings will help people recover and be restored to their families,' Kgotlhang said, adding that this is the beginning of a new dawn as people’s lives will be changed for the better.