Drug policy
In Ukraine, the State Drug Policy Strategy for the period up to 2030 and the draft Action Plan for 2022-2024 were developed in 2021.
The main priorities of the Strategy:
- prevention of use and raising awareness of the harmful effects of drugs;
- enhance public security
- to stop the illegal manufacture and production of drugs
- to ensure access to the relevant preventive interventions and efficient treatment approaches for individuals
- to implement measures aimed at reducing risk and harm to the health of individuals with mental and behavioural disorders due to substance use;
- to ensure the rights to treatment and prevention of individuals with mental and behavioural disorders due to substance use in penitentiary facilities and pre-trial detention centres.
Treatment and Recovery Services
Treatment services are funded from the state and local budgets and special funds.
There are the following forms of providing medical care to people with drug addiction:
- inpatient detoxification
- outpatient detoxification
- OST based on methadone hydrochloride and buprenorphine
- rehabilitation programs
The organizational and practical rehabilitation of people who use drugs are carried out by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MoES), the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (MoH), the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine (MoYS), the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine (MoSP), other central government bodies, regional state administrations and non-governmental organizations.
Prevention Services
In Ukraine, the implementation of prevention measures is carried out by the central government bodies.
Prevention covers certain social and age groups and provides for a variety of measures, starting with the prevention of drug use up to the reduction of negative effects caused by drug use.
In terms of interventions, there are:
- primary prevention programs
- healthy lifestyle promotion
- prevention from HIV infections and other socially dangerous diseases
- organisational requirements for educational institutions to ensure safety, health, prudent nutrition
Harm Reduction
Harm reduction measures include:
provision of the targeted information, educational and communication services - distribution of condoms and lubricants
- exchange and distribution of syringes
- HIV testing services
- TB screening services
- Opioid substitution treatment services
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