Fracarita International is strongly committed to the WHO FORUM on alcohol, drugs and addictive behav

Brother Hippolyte Manirakiza and Mr. Prakash Goossens - both mandated to represent Fracarita International through International Advocacy - participated at the WHO Forum on alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviours in the HQ of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva on 27 and 28 June 2019.

The WHO organizes this forum with a primary goal to enhance public health actions in these areas by strengthening partnerships and collaboration among public health oriented organizations, networks and institutions in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs 2030). Against a rapidly changing global health landscape and increasing commercialization, strong international collaboration and partnerships are needed to address the harmful use of alcohol and public health dimensions of drug use and achieve Universal Health Coverage for people suffering from disorders due to substance use and addictive behaviours.

“Far too many people, their families and communities suffer the consequences of the harmful use of alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviours through violence, injuries, mental health problems and diseases like cancer and stroke. It’s time to step up and take action to prevent this serious threat to the development of healthy societies.”

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO

This WHO Forum will also serve as a platform for discussing a variety of topics organized around three major thematic tracks addressing the public health dimensions of:

Alcohol (including the WHO-led SAFER initiative)
Psychoactive drug use (including the challenges of the opioid crisis and cannabis use)
Addictive behaviours (including gaming and gambling disorders)

The World Health Organization released SAFER, a new initiative and technical package outlining five high-impact strategies that can help governments to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and related health, social and economic consequences.

It is the intention of the International Advocacy of Fracarita International not only to focus on global mental health but also to give voice to these projects actively working on prevention, treatment, care and rehabilitation for persons who are victim of harmful use of alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviors. Therefor, Fracarita International will engage more actively in Geneva (WHO) but also in Vienna in the UN Office on Drugs and Crime for promoting the working methods of the Congregation of the Brothers of Charity in this field.

Fracarita International is actively engaged in prevention, treatment, rehabilitation of vulnerable people confronted with alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviours. The Congregation of the Brothers of Charity focuses specifically in this area in Peru, Nicaragua, Tanzania and Indonesia.

During their visit to Geneva, Brother Hippolyte Manirakiza and Mr. Prakash Goossens had meetings with Mrs. Sara Pedersini of the Fondation d’ Harcourt; with Fr. Markus Heinze, Director Franciscans International and with Mrs. Maria D’Onofrio, Sec-Gen. Centre Catholique International de Genève (CCIG). This visit gave also to Brother Hippolyte Manirakiza to get acquainted with the UN-system and how Fracarita International’s International Advocacy works.

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