• Preventing drug abuse and supporting drug users to get their lives back on track

Drug abuse takes its toll not only on the health drug users, but also on society as a whole. Drug trafficking leads to elevated security risks, crime increases and the use of drugs undermines family relationships.

Egypt is one of Africa’s top cultivators of cannabis and opium poppies. The use of drugs is one of the main problems Egyptian society faces today. The slums of Cairo and Giza are hotbeds of addiction. They are among the largest in the world and home to hundreds of thousands of street children.

Research shows that drug addiction among children has dropped from the age of 12 to as low as 9. This phenomenon can no longer be neglected.

Prevention and treatment

Caritas Egypt collaborates closely with schools, universities, places of employment and families to prevent drug abuse and treat addiction.

 Main activities

1. Raise awareness of drug abuse and addiction through campaigns
2. Prevent new cases of drug abusers through meetings, counseling and group therapy
3. Manage treatment programs which involve meetings with psychiatrists and psychologists in outpatient clinics
4. Manage rehabilitation program
5. Manage follow-up program to prevent relapse
6. Monitoring implementation & evaluation of outputs and impacts on beneficiaries

Facts & Figures

 Beneficiaries:

• Children and young people (until the age of 24)
• Women
• Seniors
• Homeless people
• Racial and ethnic minorities
• Sufferers of HIV

Where: Cairo and 15 governorates in Egypt
Period: 3 years (2018-2020)
Project budget: EGP 2,670,185.00

Partners

Caritas Egypt collaborates with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, Narcotics Anonymous, the National Council for Fight and Treatment of Addiction and the National Fund

Anticipated results

• Hold 67 orientation sessions across a variety of locations
• Motivate drug abusers to seek advice and help
• Transfer of drug abusers to partner hospitals for detoxification
• Manage inpatient rehabilitation at Oasis of Hope (center for rehabilitation)
• Manage outpatient rehabilitation program in Cairo for 30 people
• Regular follow up meetings in outpatient clinics with ex-patients

More info

Maged Zaky
E: maged.zaky@caritas-egypt.org
T: (202) 24310201 – 24310318

Dr. Nasr Messiha
Responsible in the field
E: nasr.messiha@caritas-egypt.org
T: 012 85032516