The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Brig Gen Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has emphasized that Ghana’s 2025 drug situation demonstrates that enforcement alone cannot solve the country’s drug challenges.
He made the remarks during his opening address as special guest at the University of Ghana School of Public Health, where he officially launched an Executive Short Course focused on the comprehensive management of persons who use drugs through the lenses of human rights, policy, and public health.
“While NACOC recorded a 197 percent increase in drug-related arrests, seized nearly 1,500 kilograms of narcotic substances, disrupted trafficking networks, and expanded operations to 40 new district commands across all 16 regions, these achievements represent only one side of the national response,” the Director-General said.
He drew attention to the growing treatment needs across the country. In 2025, a total of 1,179 individuals sought care for substance use disorders at affiliated treatment centres.
Among them were people who inject drugs, a group considered highly vulnerable to HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
This, he noted, highlights the urgent need for harm reduction interventions such as needle exchange programmes and opioid substitution therapy.
The majority of those seeking treatment were between the ages of 25 and 29, indicating a significant impact on young adults in their most productive years.
Brig Gen Mantey stated that these figures should be viewed not merely as criminal justice statistics, but as important public health indicators requiring a coordinated, evidence-based response rooted in human rights and dignity.
“Under the Narcotics Control Commission Act, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, reintegration, and drug demand reduction remain core parts of NACOC’s mandate alongside enforcement.
“For this reason, collaboration among health professionals, legal practitioners, law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and civil society is essential to effectively address the drug problem,” he added
Brig Gen Mantey commended the University of Ghana School of Public Health for creating a platform that brings together senior professionals from multiple sectors to build shared understanding and practical solutions.
Reaffirming NACOC’s commitment to a balanced drug control strategy, Brig Gen Mantey said the Commission remains dedicated to strengthening both enforcement and health-based interventions while promoting evidence-informed and rights-respecting drug policies in the country.
Participants were encouraged to engage actively throughout the five-day programme, ask difficult but necessary questions, and develop practical action plans to implement in their institutions and communities. The Director-General described the course as timely and important to Ghana’s national development and public health agenda.
Delivering his keynote address, the Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority, Dr. Eugene Dordoye, also stressed the need for a health-centred response to substance use disorders.
He stated that substance use disorder is a symptom of disease and not a moral failure. He added that a system that punishes illness cannot help those affected and called for the protection of the right to health of persons living with substance use disorders.
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Source:
opemsuo.com