Dear HIFA colleagues,
Today is the first day of our 4-week exploration of the global opioid crisis. We are delighted to welcome several specialists in opioid drug misuse and we look forward to learning from them.
Today we ask Question 2: What is the current state of opioid misuse in your country?
We invite you to comment on the following questions:
- What is the magnitude and trend of opioid use and misuse?
- What factors are driving its increase?
- What role has medical prescription played in this phenomenon?
- What other factors should we consider?
- What impact do synthetic opioids like fentanyl have?
Also we would like to explore the social determinants in your country:
- How do poverty, trauma, and social exclusion contribute to opioid misuse?
- Are there any particularly vulnerable populations?
This analysis will allow us to identify similarities and differences between countries, as well as common structural factors.
Background paper (with 10 questions): https://www.hifa.org/sites/default/files/articles/Opioids-10Qs.pdf
Landing page (to share with your contacts): https://www.hifa.org/news/hifa-announces-deep-dive-discussion-global-opi...
With thanks, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org