Responding to global opioid crisis, UNODC launches strategy to protect public health
Responding to global opioid crisis, UNODC launches strategy to protect public health
UNODC launched yesterday an organization-wide strategy to deal with the deadly global opioid crisis which is mainly affecting North America and parts of Africa and the Middle East, and threatening to spread more widely.
Misuse of opioids, such as fentanyl, usually widely used to treat severe pain and in anaesthesia; its analogues, as well as tramadol, used to treat moderate and moderate-to-severe pain, are of growing concern worldwide. UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov highlighted in his message to the event, that the organization "is further stepping up support to countries grappling with the opioids crisis with the launch of this integrated and multidisciplinary action." (UNODC, 26.06.2018)