Escaping Reality: The Drug Epidemic Silently Gripping Africa

Akua Nsiah | Africa Fellow

Image sourced from Rock Staar via Unsplash.

A deadly wave of drug addiction has swept over Africa causing fear and chaos. With the rapid spread of new, largely untested synthetic drugs, a public health crisis has arisen. Individuals are turning to cheap and accessible drugs to escape issues such as unemployment, poverty, a lack of essential medications and appropriate health care. By 2030, there is predicted to be a 40 per cent increase in the amount of drug users in Africa. To address this, African governments need to further invest in preventative measures, appropriate and regulated treatment options, and community intervention programs, as well as promote an eradication of cultural stigma concerning drug use. 

Synthetic Woes: Kush - West Africa

Kush, an addictive synthetic drug has become an escape for many young Africans dealing with societal issues. The drug surfaced in Sierra Leone, then quickly spread to neighbouring countries sparking concern due to mass fatalities and severe psychological harm. West African hospitals lack the infrastructure and capacity to manage the large number of Kush related cases. Therefore, African governments need to invest in their public healthcare systems to better assist addicts.

The production of Kush often occurs in informal labs with minimal quality control. A key ingredient is ground up human bones. A surge in crime has resulted from addicts breaking into cemeteries to dig up skeletons. In response to the Kush crisis, Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio called a state of emergency in April 2024 and mandated a multi-sectoral National Task Force on Drugs and Substance Abuse to fight the Kush epidemic. 

Negative stigma concerning drug use in Africa is widespread; religious and cultural beliefs often frame drug addiction as a moral failure opposed to a health issue, making it difficult for users to seek rehabilitative care. Due to a shortage of rehabilitation centres in West Africa, unregulated and detox houses have arisen - which raise serious concerns about human rights violations. These detox houses often use unorthodox methods to treat drug addiction such as chaining, in which patients are bound to fixed surfaces such as bed frames and confined to rooms for extended periods of time. A collective effort by African governments and relevant stakeholders is needed to educate people on the effective rehabilitation of drug addiction. 

Methcathinone (Cat) - Southern Africa

The cheaply produced and sold synthetic drug Methcathinone, commonly known as Cat, has gained popularity in South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini. Cat provides a state of relaxed alertness, and can trigger aggression, anxiety and psychosis. It is made with household detergents, making it accessible to produce and cheap to purchase. 

There has been a strong response to Cat from African law enforcement. In 2024, Botswana established the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to help fight against narcotics and reduce criminal activity associated with drug abuse. Similarly, South African police actively monitor the production of Cat and frequently raid mobile laboratories. Whilst these responses are effective, there is a further need for stringent laws from African governments that cover the production, sale and distribution of Cat, alongside the implementation of appropriate rehabilitation programs and community outreach programs.

Heroin - East and Southern Africa

An increase in heroin addiction is present in many parts of Africa, particularly Seychelles and Kenya, due to a lack of essential medicine, social issues and a surge in drug trafficking through East and Southern Africa. Almost half the population of Africa does not have regular access to essential medication such as morphine, pushing people towards easily accessible drugs such as heroin to manage their pain. Expanding access to essential medication is critical to stopping Africans from falling into addiction. There is also a strong need for an increase in Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT) programs, public health interventions and evidence-based harm reduction approaches to address the heroin crisis.

International Templates for Africa to Follow

The Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM) focuses on the collaboration of various stakeholders such as parents, community centres, teachers and other parties that are in the immediate vicinity of young people. The IPM encourages the participation of community members to identify local priorities and intervention strategies.

Similarly, Communities That Care (CTC) is also a prevention system that provides communities with tools to address health and behavioural problems of young people through a focus on risk and protective factors. Like IPM, relevant community stakeholders are mobilised to proactively minimise risk factors and encourage protective factors for young people. CTC has been implemented internationally and in Australia with success for the past two decades.

While the IPM and CTC are helpful examples of methods to address drug addiction, there are structural and cultural differences that may make these models difficult to implement in African contexts such as limited funding and differing cultural norms.

Conclusion

The drug epidemic in Africa is complex with the emergence of synthetic drugs, region-specific essential medicine shortages and informal detox houses. Appropriate context specific treatment methods with a focus on proven evidence-based models such as IPM can assist in the fight against drugs in Africa. There needs to be a focus on clear policies that focus on prevention, regulate rehabilitation centres, allow for an increase in essential medicines, particularly to rural areas, and provide law enforcement agencies with appropriate training to deal with drug addicts. A collective effort is needed by governments, communities, individuals and relevant stakeholders to fight the epidemic of drugs.

Akua Nsiah is the Africa Fellow for Young Australians in International Affairs. Akua is a final-year Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Global Studies student at the Australian Catholic University in North Sydney. She is Ghanaian Australian and her name means "born on Wednesday," in Akan. She has spent extensive time in Ghana and Morocco and looks forward to contributing to dynamic discussions on African affairs in her fellow role.

Our 2025 Africa Fellow is sponsored by the Centre for Africa-Australia Relations. For more information, visit their website here.