US Sponsors Hold Training for Drug Treatment Professionals in Pakistan

KARACHI- The Government of United States has sponsored an 8-day training for Drug Treatment Professionals in Pakistan, based on a Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC).

Kathryn Abate, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) Attaché at the United States Consulate General Karachi, Dr. Farrukh Mahmood Ansari of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Pakistan, and Brigadier Noor ul Hassan, Force Commander of the Regional Directorate of the Pakistan Anti-Narcotics Force in Sindh, participated in the opening ceremony that was held in Karachi.

This training is the first in a series that will span over the next year and cover all 9 modules of the UTC.  UNODC, with INL funding, arranged this training in Lahore and Karachi that involves, trainers and 28 drug treatment professionals in Karachi, including 12 women, representing government hospitals and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Islamabad, and Azad Kashmir.

The United States views capacity building as one of its most important engagements with its Pakistani partners, including the Government of Pakistan and its provinces, multiple NGOs, and international organizations. Such initiatives will help improve conditions for treating drug abuse disorders in Pakistan, and help those who seek science-based treatment of international standards for their substance use disorder.

The State Department’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau, which has been assisting drug demand reduction programs in Pakistan for more than a decade, works in more than 90 countries to help governments combat crime and corruption, counter drug-related crime, improve police institutions, and promote laws and court systems that are fair and accountable.