President Danny Faure was the guest of honour at a presentation ceremony held at the STC Conference Room this morning providing an overview of drug treatment and related services in Seychelles. The event this morning was organised by the Agency for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation (APDAR) in collaboration with the Department of Health. 

President Faure and other distinguished guests viewed presentations on Harm Reduction, services offered by APDAR and outreach activities by APDAR. The presentations were made by Doctors and specialists from the Department of Health and APDAR.  

In her opening remarks, the Chief Executive Officer for APDAR, Ms Geralda Desaubin, stated that the Agency has made a lot of progress over the past 3 years despite many challenges. She spoke about the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2019-2023 and its ongoing implementation. She congratulated the staff of APDAR for the remarkable work that they are doing, and thanked those working in partnership with APDAR and their clients. 

During the ceremony there were testimonies by those on the methadone programme and their families. There was also a plenary session where those present were able to ask questions and put forward their concerns. 

In his closing remarks, President Faure highlighted the importance of APDAR and gave the government’s commitment to continue supporting them and all those working in partnership with APDAR, such as the Department of Health, with the necessary resources. He gave his commitment to extend support to all NGOs working closely with both entities. He said that the statistics confirm the progress made and commended everyone involved.  

“No one should be left behind and I give my commitment that all those that need treatment will get access to it. The methadone programme has saved the lives of many of our citizens, decreased the amount of crime, brought back love in families and returned the dignity to many of our Seychellois. This sense of solidarity needs to extend towards those looking for a job and trying to feed their families, and we will continue to maximise collaboration between the Department of Employment and workplaces,” said the President.

Present at the presentation ceremony this morning was the Minister for Finance, Trade, Investment and Economic Planning, Mr Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, Secretary of State for Health, Ambassador Marie-Pierre Lloyd, the Secretary of State for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation, Dr Patrick Herminie, the Chief Executive Officer of APDAR, Ms Geralda Desaubin, Deputy Chief Executive APDAR, Ms Marie-Josette Louise, and CEO of the Healthcare Agency, Dr Danny Louange.