Updated at 13:21,07-10-2024

690 drug addicts receive substitution therapy in Belarus

JULIA MATUZAVA, Euroradio

690 drug addicts receive substitution therapy in Belarus
There are a total of 19 substitution treatment rooms in the country / sb.by
As Ina Belayets, head of the narcology sector of the organizational and methodological department of the State Institution of Mental Health, told Euroradio, in Belarus, 690 drug addicts undergo methadone therapy.

"Today, there are offices of methadone substitution therapy in every region of Belarus. There are 19 of them in total. As of January 1, 2020, 690 patients participated in the program," Ms Belayets added.

In the neighboring Russia, the use of methadone for any purpose is prohibited by law. And in Belarus, this substance has been used for more than 10 years for substitution therapy. The program is aimed at treating opioid dependence and reducing the risk of HIV infection.