Drug Addicts Kenya's coastal region to receive special treatment to Break Addiction

Thousands of drug addicts in the Coast region will for the first time be treated with a special but expensive treatment that cuts addiction to heroin and minimises painful withdrawal symptoms.

The government has announced that the drug, methadone, will be soon available in three facilities in the coast region by the end of next week to take care of the many heroin addicts as the crackdown on drug trafficking continues.

The treatment will be given for free to the addicts on a daily basis to assist them recover from the strong attachment to the heroin.

Director of Medical Services Dr Nicholas Muraguri said that previously, methadone treatment was inaccessible to the majority of addicts in Kenya, many of whom are struggling to break from the vicious cycle of addiction to heroin.

"Methadone was only available in private facilities but since it costs between Sh10,000 and Sh20,000 per day, very few addicts could afford. But now the government is making it available with the help of partners," he said.

He added, " We are using methadone since it offers the most effective and quick way of treating heroin addiction in the coast region and other parts of the country. We expect to save many heroin addicts from their addiction."

Dr Muraguri said that the Methadone-therapy will be available in Coast General Hospital, Kisauni Health Center and Komboni in Kwale County to assist in treating the high number of addicts.

Drug addicts who are treated with Methadone recover quickly but have to continue using the treatment on a long term basis to help them avoid relapsing to drug usage.

When people addicted to heroin first quit, they undergo withdrawal symptoms including pain, diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting which may be severe.

But medication such as Methadone is used to ease the strong craving for the heroin that causes many addicts to relapse to drug use.

Recently the government opened a methadone-therapy treatment center in Mathare Hospital in Nairobi and Malindi, which are currently treating hundreds of heroin addicts.

Methadone has been used since the 1960s to treat heroin addiction and is still an excellent treatment option, particularly for patients who do not respond well to other medications.

Last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered that medical care and support be provided for addicts of hard drugs in the coastal region of the country.

Dr Muraguri also indicated that nine detoxification day care centers will also be opened in the Coast region by next week to help detoxify addicts from the hard drugs

The detox centres will be at the Coast General hospital, Mvita Health Center, Port Reitz Hospital, Shika Adabu, Mtongwe Health Centre. Others will be at Bamburi Dispensary and MEWA Rehabilitataion centre and the National Youth Service Centre in Miritini

An estimated 18,327 people in Kenya are currently injecting drugs, 92% per cent of whom are addicted to heroin. The coast region has the highest burden of drug use, harbouring almost half of all people who inject drugs.