Africa-Press – Liberia. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Office in Liberia has officially handed over a drug treatment and rehabilitation center valued at US$80,000 to the Government of Liberia(GoL).
The newly renovated facility, located in Klay Town, Bomi County, was dedicated on Tuesday.
It is expected to serve at-risk youth from Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu and rural Montserrado Counties. Although Liberia lacks comprehensive statistics on the number of at-risk youth, such individuals are present across all counties.
On January 30, 2024, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai declared drug and substance abuse a “public health emergency”, citing the alarming rise in addiction and describing it as a serious threat to Liberia’s youth population.
ECOWAS Ambassador to Liberia, Josephine Nkrumah, emphasized that the facility is designed to address drug dependence as a medical condition requiring treatment and long-term care.
She noted that drug dependence is not unique to Liberia but is a challenge across all ECOWAS member states.
“When we treat drug dependence or at-risk youth, and beyond that we find ways of reintegrating them into society, it shows we are solving the problem. The dimension of drug dependence has taken on a serious level which requires urgent intervention,” Ambassador Nkrumah said.
She described the center’s dedication as a first step in a broader regional strategy that includes treatment, reintegration and prevention.
Ambassador Nkrumah disclosed that ECOWAS plans to train specialized personnel to better understand and address drug-related issues.
She stressed that tackling drug dependence requires a collective societal approach, not just the involvement of the Ministries of Health or Youth and Sports.
“As we all know, the government has adopted a multi-sectorial approach in addressing drug dependence. Both the ministries of youth and sports and health are working to treat and rehabilitate at-risk youth,” she said.
She further highlighted the broader societal impact of drug abuse: “It weakens family economic stability, turns affected youth into social liabilities, creates potential security risks.”
She urged the media to actively raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and its consequences.
According to Ambassador Nkrumah, the structure was identified years ago in collaboration with the Ministry of Health as suitable for conversion into a rehabilitation center.
The renovation represents an initial contribution to Liberia’s broader national response to drug dependence.
Bomi County Health Officer, Annette Brima Davies, expressed appreciation to ECOWAS for the support and pledged proper use of the facility.
“We are grateful to ECOWAS for this major renovation of this vocational center. This is an empowerment of the people of Liberia to take disadvantaged youth from the streets and be trained to be useful citizens for themselves and the society,” Madam Davies said.
She also called for continued partnership: “We hope you can work with us to ensure our dream of rehabilitating these at-risk youth is achieved.”
The commissioning of the rehabilitation center marks a significant step in addressing Liberia’s growing drug crisis, with ECOWAS and the Liberian government emphasizing treatment, reintegration, and collective responsibility as key pillars of the response.
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