Since its start in 2006, the Pompidou Group’s Mediterranean network for cooperation on drugs and addictions (MedNET), has played a vital role in fostering collaboration across the Mediterranean region to address the complex issues surrounding drug use and substance use disorders.
Among a wide variety of activities, field visits organised between network members of the Southern and Northern shores of the Mediterranean have supported countries like Egypt and Tunisia in developing more effective strategies for managing substance use disorders and improving access to treatment in both community and criminal justice settings. These efforts are part of the MedNET Annual Work Programme, which addresses critical issues related to substance use disorders and rehabilitation, by promoting and emphasising human rights and gender equality in all its initiatives and by supporting the design and delivery of evidence-based, coherent policies on addictive behaviours.
Roll-out of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) programs in Tunisia
On 25-27 November 2024, health and social care professionals from Tunisia, specifically from Razi Hospital, visited Lisbon, Portugal, to learn from Portugal's extensive experience in running OAT programs. The study visit was facilitated by the Institute for Addictive Behaviors and Addictions (ICAD).
Portugal’s model for addressing opioid use disorders, which includes the use of methadone as part of a broader treatment and harm reduction strategy, has been globally recognised as a leading example of integrated care. Participants were able to visit methadone distribution sites, community-based harm reduction centres and social care hubs. In addition, they learned about evaluation and monitoring protocols and how these services are structured to ensure patients with opioid use disorders receive the care they need.
The study visit also highlighted the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, with a special focus on the role of nurses in OAT programs. It gave Tunisian professionals valuable insights into policy frameworks, operational practices, and the logistics of implementing and scaling opioid treatment services. The study visit provided an opportunity to translate these policies into actionable strategies in line with plans in Tunisia for large-scale implementation of OAT in its territory.
GAT community-based centre in Mouraria, Lisbon, Portugal
Development of alternatives to incarceration for persons who use drugs in Egypt
On 9-11 December 2024, the Pompidou Group, in cooperation with Italy's Department for Anti-drug Policies, organised a study visit in Rome, Italy for a delegation from Egypt. The visit focused on models for enhancing the management and care for individuals with drug use disorders within the criminal justice system, related to plans in Egypt to further develop alternatives to conviction or punishment. The visit was facilitated by the Department for Antidrug Policies of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Italy.
A delegation of Egyptian legal and healthcare professionals learned about Italy's approach to integrating the treatment of people with substance use disorders within the justice system. The visit included field visits to penitentiary institutions, covering the various elements of rehabilitation in prison settings, as well as therapeutic communities, and probation programs in place in Italy.
The study visit emphasised the importance of multidisciplinary cooperation between health, social services, and criminal justice professionals, enabling participants to develop a comprehensive understanding of how treatment can be integrated as a viable alternative to conviction or punishment. Through the visit, Egyptian professionals gained firsthand experience of effective models that can be adapted in their national context.
Field visit to the therapeutic community Exodus, near Montecassino, Italy
In parallel to this, several capacity-building activities were supported by MedNET in 2024, including training of healthcare professionals working in the addiction field in Algeria and in Tunisia, as well as accredited courses in addictology at two universities of Morocco.
By fostering regional collaboration and by offering hands-on exposure to effective treatment models and frameworks, the Pompidou Group empowers professionals to introduce evidence-based and human rights-sensitive approaches to substance use disorders as a health issue rather than a criminal one.