More than 75 per cent of respondents to a survey on drug usage and addiction are not aware of how they can access treatment services to overcome the addiction.
The study, which focused on people who use drugs associated with HIV risk and not a general population survey on drug use, showed that only 26 per cent of the respondents knew where treatment programmes were available.
A lecturer at the School of Public Health of the University of Ghana, Professor Samuel K. Dery, who was speaking about the statistics at an event, said although more than 75 per cent of respondents expressed a desire to stop using drugs, many were unable to access treatment services.
"People wish to stop, but they either do not know where treatment services are available, or they are unable to access them. That is an area we need to address," he said.
Prof. Dery was speaking at a dialogue organised by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) in collaboration with the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), WAPCAS Plus, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Joint UNAIDS and other national and international partners.
To help bridge the gap, he called for expanded access to treatment and rehabilitation services, sustained investment in mental health care, reduction in stigma and violence against people who use drugs, and the continuation of harm reduction programmes to complement law enforcement efforts.
Study
Prof. Dery said 4,031 people participated in the survey, comprising 3,257 non-injecting drug users and 774 injecting drug users from across the country.
The study, he said, mapped drug use hotspots, estimated the number of people who use drugs, assessed HIV prevalence and examined behavioural and mental health issues among drug users.
He said about 88 per cent of non-injecting drug users and 93 per cent of injecting drug users interviewed were males, HIV prevalence among non-injecting drug users was 3.9 per cent, but increased to 17 per cent among female users.
Prof. Dery further said heroin use was particularly high in the Western, Western North, Eastern and Greater Accra regions, while the use of a locally known drug mixture was widespread in parts of the Upper West Region and other northern areas.
Among injecting drug users, HIV prevalence stood at 1.5 per cent, rising to 4.1 per cent among females.
He said the survey also revealed that drug use often started at an early age, with about 10 per cent of respondents reporting that they began using drugs before the age of 15, while more than half had initiated drug use by age 19.
Mental health
Prof. Dery said the study also highlighted serious mental health challenges among people who use drugs, indicating that 44 per cent of respondents experienced moderate to severe depression, while another 44 per cent suffered moderate to severe anxiety.
He added that 17 per cent had either contemplated or attempted suicide, 31 per cent had experienced physical violence, nine per cent had suffered sexual violence, and 35 per cent reported experiencing stigma because of their drug use.
