MEDICATION Assisted Treatment Programme (MATP) saved 2.7bn/-last year that could have been spent by heroin drug users in Dodoma alone, thanks to a methadone treatment launched in January last year.
Itega Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, a newly state-of-the-art clinic admitted 479 opioid addicts last year.
Of the total number, 367 patients are now on methadone, but usually spend a minimum of 21,000/- a day to buy three pellets of heroin.
Mr Alex Chitawala, Managing Director of Methadone Family against Drug Abuse—a local nongovernmental organisation working to recruit drug users at the centre told the HIV and Aids Committee that “a pellet of heroin is sold at 7,000/- in Dodoma, meaning the group spends 7.7m/-a day or 231m/-a month to get the illicit opioids.”
“This means the work between the government and civil society organisations (CSOs) has helped prevent 2.7bn/- circulation of illicit money in the local market,” he said.
Mirembe Hospital Director, Dr Erasmus Mndeme, told MPs that an opioid addict before being admitted to the centre had to undergo counselling and mentorship offered by some registered CSOs.
He noted that the war on illicit drug was complex, but efforts made by the government and stakeholders were bearing fruit.
He noted that among the admitted patients, 26 of them were living with HIV/Aids, four had TB and 64 had either hepatitis B or C.
Ms Mwasiti Abdul from Kigoma, who has been admitted to the clinic and taking methadone for addiction treatment, said the programme had saved her life and had also helped her to be accepted in the community.
But Ms Abdul, like any other admitted methadone users, is increasingly facing threats from drug pushers when trying to educate other drug users.
“When we go to the centre, the drug pushers tend to call the police as an attempt to stop us from recruiting more victims of drug use,” she said.
Baraka Mandai, another opioid addict, urged the MPs to reconsider the youth by supporting them to get jobs that would keep them busy and be able to influence their peers.
Mr Oscar Mukasa, the parliamentary committee’s chairperson tasked with the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children as well as the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) to develop a nationwide strategic plan that would help monitor the progress attained in addressing the drug problem in the country.
