The fifth meeting of the High-Level Drugs and HIV Council was held, yesterday, at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth. The meeting aimed at taking stock of the progress made pertaining to the implementation of measures and actions to fight drug trafficking and substance abuse in the country, and to ensure that bottlenecks and administrative hurdles are removed for the full implementation of the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2019-2023.
In a statement following the meeting, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, highlighted that several stakeholders attended the meeting including Ministers and representatives of Ministries, Non-Governmental Organisations and relevant authorities. He pointed out that around 80% of the recommendations outlined in the report of the Commission of inquiry on drugs has been implemented so far, while some others have already been initiated.
Minister Jagutpal indicated that discussions during the meeting focussed on the Drug Offenders Administrative Panel, which aims at diverting people who use drugs from the criminal justice system towards rehabilitation and treatment. He also informed that the Prime Minister has taken note of the type of drugs which are in circulation around the island, the quantity seized through police operations and the number of drugs dealers who have been arrested.
With regards to HIV, Dr Jagutpal underscored that the local situation was reviewed, and details were provided regarding the screening exercise and treatment being given to HIV positive patients. An action plan is also being prepared so as to provide more efficient treatment to patients, he added.
Speaking about paraphernalia, the Health Minister explained that this term refers to a kit or gadget used by drug users to consume illicit substances. As such, means and ways of eliminating HIV contamination among drug users by providing them with a kit were also discussed, he said.
Other topics that were on the agenda, he underlined, include: the ‘People Who Use Drugs’ study carried out last year by the National Drug Secretariat and the strategy to be developed so as to prevent these persons from using drugs in the future; and capacity building and projects that can be carried out at school to raise awareness among the youth from consuming drugs.
For his part, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit, Mr Choolun Bhojoo, remarked that the worldwide, regional, and local drug situations were outlined during the meeting. He also affirmed that, through interceptions of ships in the Indian Ocean during year 2021, the following were seized by relevant authorities: 56 tons of hashish; some five tons of heroine; five tons of cocaine; some 4,5 tons of amphetamines. He further added that Government is providing necessary support to the Mauritius Police Force so as to intensify operations in the fight against drugs around the island.
