EVENTS
African Union First Session of the Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Health, Population and Drug Control to Converge in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
02 April 2015
The First Session of the Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Health, Population and Drug Control (STC-HPDC-1) will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 13-17 April 2015. The meetings of the First Session will be organised as follows:
13-15 April 2015: Meeting of Experts;
16-17 April 2015: Meeting of Ministers.
The theme of the Session is, “Challenges for Inclusive and Universal Access”, and it will, among others, provide timely opportunities to consider issues pertaining to achieving health and social justice for all and include drug control, which is at the interface between health and security sector reforms. The synergies among the health, population and drug control sectors to enable the joint operationalization of the Specialized Technical Committee, will also be discussed.
The specific objectives of the 1st Ordinary Session of the STC-HPDC-1 will be to review expiring health and nutrition policies and make recommendations; appraise progress, identify challenges and make recommendations on on-going health, nutrition and population initiatives; assess the state of population with its dynamics and make recommendations for action; sensitize experts and ministers regarding the drug/health/crime/ nexus, in particular, treating drug use as a public health issue, rather than as a criminal justice matter, while confronting political and governance weaknesses, which traffickers, and some corrupt health practitioners exploit; promote scaling up of an integrated and balanced response towards drug control in Africa; ensuring access to controlled drugs for medical purposes, whilst preventing diversion and abuse; establish and strengthen national and regional epidemiological networks for improved data on the continent.
13-15 April 2015: Meeting of Experts;
16-17 April 2015: Meeting of Ministers.
The theme of the Session is, “Challenges for Inclusive and Universal Access”, and it will, among others, provide timely opportunities to consider issues pertaining to achieving health and social justice for all and include drug control, which is at the interface between health and security sector reforms. The synergies among the health, population and drug control sectors to enable the joint operationalization of the Specialized Technical Committee, will also be discussed.
The specific objectives of the 1st Ordinary Session of the STC-HPDC-1 will be to review expiring health and nutrition policies and make recommendations; appraise progress, identify challenges and make recommendations on on-going health, nutrition and population initiatives; assess the state of population with its dynamics and make recommendations for action; sensitize experts and ministers regarding the drug/health/crime/ nexus, in particular, treating drug use as a public health issue, rather than as a criminal justice matter, while confronting political and governance weaknesses, which traffickers, and some corrupt health practitioners exploit; promote scaling up of an integrated and balanced response towards drug control in Africa; ensuring access to controlled drugs for medical purposes, whilst preventing diversion and abuse; establish and strengthen national and regional epidemiological networks for improved data on the continent.
