The Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Maiduguri, Borno state, said that a pilot Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) programme, is designed to support drug-use harm reduction.
The agency said that it has unveiled both successes and key challenges that provide insight into scaling MAT across Nigeria.
The Managing Director, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri, Prof. Ibrahim Wakawa said this in an interview on Thursday in Maiduguri.
MAT is the use of medications, alongside counselling and behavioural therapies to treat substance use disorders.
MAT provides a “whole patient” approach to treat addiction to opioids such as heroin or prescription pain relievers and not a stand-alone treatment.
It combines medications with behavioural therapy, psychosocial supports and other wrap around services, leading to the best outcomes.
It also helps to treat Opioids Use Disorder (OUD) by normalising brain chemistry, blocking the euphoric effects of opioids and relieving physical cravings, without the negative effects of heroin.
Wakawa said that MAT pilot was a safe, feasible solution, emphasising community mobilisation and stakeholders’ engagement as critical to its success.
“Collaborations with the State Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Catholic Diocese of Borno and traditional institutions had ensured smooth implementation.
“In a groundbreaking move, the hospital innovatively converted methadone tablets into liquid form in its compounding lab to prevent misuse.
“This measure curbed the possibility of clients hiding tablets and selling them outside the programme,’’ he said.
He said the project also included socio-economic empowerment for clients, a component, he described as essential.
“Four of the six beneficiaries were employed as contract staff, which reduced relapse rates and improved workplace productivity,” he said.
He said the programme faced significant hurdles, including “Inter-Agency Coordination: Confusion between the Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC over drug procurement authority.
“Funding Constraints: Insufficient budget limited the pilot to four months instead of the ideal six to twelve months. Necessary diagnostics, transportation stipends and drug compliance monitoring tools were underfunded.
“Stigma: Although largely mitigated through community engagement, some clients experienced occasional discrimination,” he said.
He advocated institutional commitment and proper planning for future MAT programmes across the country.
“Comprehensive budget for diagnostics, transportation and monitoring tools, alongside creating safe spaces for clients after treatment are necessary measures.
“Secure storage and handling of scheduled narcotics to ensure safety are equally very important recommendations,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of psychosocial and economic empowerment, saying: “without socio-economic support, clients are likely to relapse into drug use again.”
Speaking on the call for a legal framework for the project, he advocated a comprehensive Public Health Act to anchor harm reduction strategies in Nigeria.
He urged the Federal Ministry of Health to sponsor an Executive Bill involving stakeholders such as civil society organisations, people with live experiences and religious leaders.
“This framework will eliminate inter-agency skirmishes and provide a supportive environment for implementing harm reduction and public health strategies,” he said.
He said that the MAT pilot project demonstrated the potential of harm-reduction strategies to transform lives.
However, he said addressing funding gaps, fostering inter-agency collaboration and establishing a robust legal framework were critical steps for national implementation.
