50 experts from health and drug administrations from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean participate in a 3 day meeting in Port of Spain (Trinidad &Tobago) to improve the quality, effectiveness and evidenced base of policies related to drug use, through improving the availability and access to community based interventions and services to address the vulnerabilities linked to drugs.
This is part of a broad cooperation program, named COPOLAD III, financed by the European Union in 32 countries of Latam and the Caribbean, through dialogue, cooperation and technical assistance based on the needs of the countries. Thus, enhancing the relevance and comprehensiveness of public policies on drug use. COPOLAD III focuses on the most vulnerable populations to develop systems and interventions to support the most vulnerable and populations with the most difficulties in accessing care services. In this case, the event is organized by the National Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Programme (NADAPP) and the National Drug Council of TT.
The meetings will include sessions on drug regional context, and social perspective, international exchanges and also a visit of all the visitors to the Penal community to see the advances in the prevention and drug reduction program implemented by Trinidad y Tobago in the framework of the COPOLAD III Program.
The public experts come from Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Peru, Dominican Republic, Portugal, Spain, Suriname, Uruguay, Trinidad and Tobago will be exchanging their experiences and challenges.
Objectives of the meeting
The meeting to be placed in Port of Spain, will connect more than 50 experts to promote the exchange of plans, good practices and challenges of the territorialisation programmes in the different countries with which COPOLAD III has worked in the line of action of addressing vulnerabilities associated with drugs at the territorial level, highlighting the participation and tools used in the Caribbean.
The event will also present the work carried out by the teams in each country, their territorialisation plan and how it has been or will be included in the national drug policies. On the other side, it will help to train and build practical models for professionals and community leaders will be presented, and continuity processes will be defined. The event will help to build a proposal for a network collaboration between countries in order to generate continuity and sustainability.
COPOLAD III Agenda Meeting T&T March 2025
