NIDA Information Reaches Africa and Saudi Arabia

NIDA’s information is reaching individuals around the world. Most recently, a newly developed facility in Ghana, Africa—the Sub-Saharan Drug Abuse Research and Consultancy Center run by Yahya H. Affinnih, Ph.D.—began displaying NIDA fact sheets and brochures as a result of outreach by NIDA Public Information Officer Brian Marquis. The center is open to the public and provides the materials free of charge. It also serves as a resource for the Addictive Diseases Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana. Mr. Logosu Amegashie, head of the unit, sent the following email to NIDA:

“On three different visits, Prof. Affinnih tutored all of us on addiction research in Ghana… At the end of every visit and lecture, we were allowed to have access [to] materials from NIDA [on] psychoactive drugs or substances. On our next visit…we are asking that Prof. Affinnih provide us with more materials from NIDA to help us in the areas of prevention, treatment, rehab, and aftercare for the substance-dependent person.”

Earlier this year, NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D., was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, giving the keynote address at the Second Regional Symposium on Drug Control and Information Sharing. The Saudi Ministry of Interior Affairs hosted the event for close to 500 participants from more than 26 countries. During her visit, Dr. Volkow met with women clinicians and policymakers regarding substance use disorders and their treatment. She said the following about her visit: “Getting to spend time with the women from Saudi Arabia was the highlight of my trip in Riyadh. I was impressed by their commitment, intelligence, respect, warmth, and resilience.”