African Common Position on Controlled Substances and Access to Pain Management Drugs
The overall goal of a functioning system for managing the availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances should be to provide relief from pain and suffering by ensuring the safe delivery of the best affordable drugs to those patients who need them and, at the same time, to prevent the diversion of drugs for the purpose of abuse.
In September 2010, during the 4th Conference of Africa Union Ministers in Charge of Drug Control and Crime Prevention (CAMDCCP4), the AU Ministers agreed that Member States should identify impediments to adequate access to opioid analgesics for pain management and take steps to improve the availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for the relief of pain. The meeting called on the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) to assist Governments in implementing this recommendation.
In 2010, the INCB offered information regarding the principles of the international drug control treaties as a mechanism to ensure availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific requirements while at the same time preventing their inappropriate use and abuse.1