Mission & Objectives
The overall goal of the Red Cross Red Crescent Partnership on Substance Abuse is to support National Societies to enhance activities addressing and meeting basic needs of communities suffering from substance abuse, eliminating health inequalities and advocating for the respect of human rights.
The Partnership is committed to promote the adoption of pragmatic and evidence-based public health policies and practices, aimed at reducing the negative consequences associated with drug use such as HIV, hepatitis B or C and other related risk factors.
To this aim, the strategic priorities/objectives of the Partnership are:
Build skills and capacity
Build skills and capacity of National Societies in comprehensive approaches to substance abuse encompassing adequate provision of prevention, harm reduction measures, accessible treatment and rehabilitation services.
Support National Societies
Support National Societies in advocating towards relevant stakeholders for humane and effective drug policies based on evidence, humanity and compassion.
Develop and share models
Develop and share models, tools and case studies that reflect best practices in drug policy within and outside the Movement.
Cooperate with key organizations
Cooperate with key organizations and networks at global and country level working in the field of substance abuse and related topics, improving collaboration and alliances.
MoU Partnership
The IFRC Strategy 2030 embodies and further enhances the Movement’s commitment to enable healthy and safe communities, reduce vulnerabilities, strengthen resilience and foster a culture of peace around the world.
Strategy 2030 aims to reinforce the presence of RCRC National Societies in communities and their role as auxiliaries to the public authorities in the humanitarian field, proposing an urgent shift of leadership and decision-making to the most local level – placing local communities at the very centre of change. The strategy also prioritises thinking beyond the borders of the Red Cross and Red Crescent to engaging with many partners and actors, perfectly in line with the Partnership’s mission and approach.
The Strategy sets the following goals:
GOAL 1: PEOPLE ANTICIPATE, RESPOND TO AND QUICKLY RECOVER FROM CRISES
GOAL 2: PEOPLE LEAD SAFE, HEALTHY AND DIGNIFIED LIVES, AND HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO THRIVE
GOAL 3: PEOPLE MOBILISE FOR INCLUSIVE AND PEACEFUL COMMUNITIES
Key element of all the three goals is to ensure that people can achieve well-being at all levels, including positive social, mental and physical health, in order to have more inclusive, equitable and cohesive societies.
One of the global challenges of the Strategy 2030 is “Growing gaps in health and well-being”: it will require efforts to expand integrated community-based health, care and first aid in order to meet the unmet needs of vulnerable or marginalised groups and ensure that all people can access good quality health care and social inclusion.
In this sense, the mission and activities of the Partnership are clearly linked to the Strategy 2030 vision and will contribute to the achievement of its goals and commitments.