Tackling substance use across the Eastern Mediterranean Region

13 October 2025 - Substance use affects millions across the Eastern Mediterranean Region, impacting families, communities and health systems. From dependance and mental health conditions to infectious diseases, its consequences are far-reaching for individuals, families and societies.

In response to the growing public health challenge across the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the

WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean launched the regional flagship initiative for accelerating the public health response to substance use, endorsed by the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean at its 71st session in October 2024 .

This initiative specifically aims to reduce morbidity and mortality by preventing initiation among vulnerable populations, expanding availability and accessibility to services and supporting balanced policies and regulations rather than relying on Punitive regimes, like incarceration, which often exacerbate social exclusion and costs to the health and criminal justice systems

To accelerate the implementation of this initiative , a high-level policy dialogue was held in Abu Dhabi in February 2025. The policy dialogue generated a consensus to strengthen intersectoral coordination and collaboration building on existing mechanisms like the regional health alliance, and the provision of targeted guidance and support to countries tailored to the context, needs, and resources

A Regional Coalition for Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention was launched in July 2025 to engage civil society organizations and ensure inclusiveness and engagement with the voices of people with lived experience in advancing the initiative's goals and promoting collaborative actions across the Region while the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Mental Health and Substance Use, has been set up to guide countries in developing evidence-based policies, regulations and services and promote regional research on substance use.

On the occasion of the Seventy-second session of the WHO Regional Committee we need to acknowledge that while some Progress has been made, but challenges remain which need right investments in sustainable, evidence-based solutions, to significantly improve public health outcomes and foster social stability for future generations. The Flagship Initiative is more than a regional effort; it is a call for decisive, collective action to address one of the most urgent but neglected public health challenges of our times.