Nigerian female doctors and journalists unite against drug abuse

Female doctors in Delta State, Nigeria, have voiced concerns about the rate of illegal drug use by young people, especially secondary school students.

Speaking under the auspices of the Medical Women Association (MWAN), the physicians noted the consequences of young people abusing drugs and called for all interested parties to help stop the trend.

MWAN’s President, Dr Ngozi Ali, addressed a gathering of stakeholders fighting the spread of drug use. The Delta State chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) collaborated with MWAN to organise the event.

Dr Ali said that women in the medical profession had seen first-hand the negative effects of drug abuse, and decided they needed to play a more active role in stemming the tide by increasing awareness about the detrimental effects of drug addiction in secondary schools.

She said that MWAN’s aim was to stop drug abuse, with particular emphasis on Nigeria’s young people, “because they are the future leaders”. She added that her organisation had developed a partnership with state government officials to fight drug abuse and welcomed other NGOs to join the effort.

Pat Gbemudu, NAWOJ’s chairperson, emphasised the need to make parents more aware of the dangers of drug abuse. She said that Delta NAWOJ joined forces with MWAN to amplify the reach of the campaign against drug abuse, and to help Nigerian parents counsel their children on the effects of using drugs.