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- UNODC unveils GrugHelpNet for needy drug users
Oxfam, an international non-governmental organisation, has warned that the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis could push 500 million people into poverty globally, unless urgent action was taken to rescue developing countries.
In its new report titled, “Dignity Not Destitution,” Oxfam suggested that between six and eight per cent of the global population could be forced into poverty as governments shut down their economies to manage the spread of the virus.
Its Interim Executive Director, Jose Maria Vera, said, “The devastating economic fallout of the pandemic is being felt globally, but for the poor in poor countries who are already struggling to survive, there are almost no safety nets to stop them from falling into poverty.
Oxfam urged world leaders to agree an ‘Economic Rescue Package for All’ to keep poor countries and poor communities afloat, ahead of key meetings of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and G-20 Finance Ministers’ next week.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has partnered with 80 health workers, including medical doctors, drug counselors and other professionals across Nigeria to provide over-the-phone assistance for drug users or families who need such services during the COVID-19 scourge.
It explained that this was to provide immediate and practical relief for needy drug users within the framework of the European Union (EU) funded Nigeria Drugs Project (NDP).
In a statement issued by its National Project Officer, Sylvester Tunde Atere, it said, “Due to their poorer health profile, drug users are more vulnerable to experiencing COVID-19 more severely.”
He disclosed that the health professionals, who responded to UNODC’s request to establish the network, have been trained and certified under the project in drug treatment using the Treatnet methodology or Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC).
