Dimapur, November 9 (MExN): The Nagaland Users’ Network (NUN), the first Drug users’ community network in the country, advocates for drug users in Nagaland, is organising the first Nagaland Drug Users conference at the State Academy hall, Kohima on November 15 and 16, with technical support from the Kripa Foundation Nagaland and sponsored by the NSACS. The conference will be the first of its kind in country. The conference is organised with an aim to address the twin epidemic of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS and to ensure greater involvement of the drug using community.
Vikho Yhoshu, Advisor to the Chief Minister for IT&TE, and Chairman, DAN, will grace the programme as the chief guest at the inauguration, while Ruokuowhetuo Angami, Pastor of upper Naga Bazaar Baptist Church Kohima, will deliver the sermon during the devotional service. Neiketu Iralu, MRA international member, Menukhol John, Commissioner Secretary, health & family welfare, and Chairman NSACS, Ch. Anand, CRS, Sialo, Project Officer I-81, UNODC, Charan, NACO, and Dr Joyce Angami, Australian International Health Institute, will be taking part as resource persons.
With the ever-growing HIV epidemic among drug users in Nagaland, the Nagaland Users’ Network (NUN), a state level network, was formed in 1997 by some likeminded recovering addicts and HIV+ people (previous drug addicts) as an independent, user-driven community based organisation. The organisation was officially registered as Nagaland Users’ Network (NUN) in 1999 under the Society’s Registration Act of 1969, government of Nagaland.
As a peer-based organisation, the NUN aims to provide and improve the quality of life of drug users and the PLWHA in the state by undertaking research studies, design programmes for a comprehensive and culturally relevant manner, find effective strategies and approaches that give the key population opportunities for greater involvement in the programme to battle with drug abuse and HIV/AIDS, and to advocate for their rights, stated a release issued by Abou Mere, Convenor of the Organizing Committee.
Mere pointed out that “the emphasis is always on promoting and defending the health, dignity, wellbeing and rights of injecting and other illicit drug users.” The organisation also provides a platform where the users’ network can be a voice for drug users and PLHA on issues surrounding IDUs, and to act as a pressure group, the convener added. The organisation also serves as a resource centre where people in distress (addicts, PLHA and their family members) can access information about treatment, positive living and human rights, exchange ideas, learn more from each other, and give a human face to the epidemic, he added.
“The role of drug users (primarily injecting drug users) as a critical group in HIV transmission is universally acknowledged and these interventions have contributed in bringing down the HIV prevalence among the IDU in the state, but the drug-using community continues to remain as mere project recipients (beneficiaries) with no greater participation and ownership towards these interventions,” informed Abou Mere. Therefore, he stressed, in the absence of an empowering and greater involvement of the community of drug users, the desired outcome of these interventions targeting drug users and their sexual partners continues to remain compromised to a great extent.
The organising committee has invited all the ex-drug users, active drug users, alcoholics, PLHAs and well-wishers to the Nagaland Drug Users conference, to “attend the historic program celebrating recovery.”
