The complex landscape of Afghanistan socio-political environment has given rise to a silent crisis – the surge in mental health problems and drug abuse among its youth. Despite a significant reduction in opium poppy cultivation, experts highlight the worsening situation of drug abuse, especially among young Afghans, due to dwindling donor support and crumbling healthcare infrastructure under the Taliban regime.
Unemployment as well as the Expansion of the new Issues.
The UNODC, a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, gives the figure that opium poppy growing got some reduction since the Taliban leadership implemented a drug ban in April 2022. Nevertheless, experts stress that reducing the extent of Afghanistan’s farming has not yielded the desired gains which should have improved livelihoods, mainly for the youth. According to the word of the World Health Organization (WHO), about 2.9 million Afghanistan people suffer from drug abuse and about 9 million from psychological problems among Afghanistan population of more than 38.8 million.
Holistic Solutions for Complex Problems
It was at a high level side event held recently at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs meeting in Vienna that the stakeholders reminded the world that a comprehensive approach is of great essence to tackling the Afghan dilemma of mental health and substance abuse. Jean-Luc Lemahieu from UNODC referred the issue of the easy entry of youth to drug abuse based on the terrorist-like attitude of the Taliban that rules the country. He emphasized the integration between drug reduction programs and life-customization with occupational skills development he said the disadvantaged group is susceptible to exploitation and radicalization.
Consequences of Economic Shifts
The nearly complete collapse of the opium market has exerted very significant effects. On the economies that for ages depended on opium as their major cash crop. Since there looms a gross decrease in the farmer’s income. A community is at risk of experiencing higher levels poverty and risk exposure. Around 23.7 million failed and traumatized Afghans are set for humanitarian assistance in this year by UNICEF (WHO), which is would complicate the state of affairs as far as getting basic healthcare is concerned.
Enough with the empty words, mainstream media! Let’s jump into sustainable solutions.
Experts had emphasized the huge crossover effects of mental health disorders and drug abuse on public health. Including higher mortality rate and increased risks of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. Raffaella Iodice from the European Union pinpointed the essentialness of the investment in the weakness of drug demand. Mental health in order to establish the strong and stable communities.
As Comparison to Others, the Recovery Process Presents Many Difficulties
Even though considerable efforts are made to find treatment and recovery. The problems caused by this accessibility to drugs. The imperfection of our health care system do remain. The plight of Abdul Hakim, a former addict of drugs who is striving for reform. Makes it a mandate to pay attention to the drug availability in the fight for effective recovery. These issues, language barriers, and stigma on mental health and substance use disorders. Impede the effectiveness of expansion of treatment programs.
Integration and development of New Services
In response to such healthcare system fails, stakeholders underlined the necessity for the unification of the mental health services systems. With the already existing public health programs. Dr. Vail Al-Raas who is of The International Medical Corps demonstrated efficiency of implementing. The existing infrastructure and medical service provider to expand the mental health services and combat the stigma.
In the last analysis, he mental health and drug abuse problem of Afghanistan deserves the complete. Mutual response of the stakeholders who seek the efficient solutions to the complicated problems the country faces. By the means of the full spectrum of intermediation and continuous support. In fact, there is reason for the decrease of the significant impairment of social relationships stemmed from mental health issues. Substance use on the Afghan community.
