NACADA validates community-based drug rehabilitation guidelines

The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has validated guidelines for delivering drug and substance abuse rehabilitation services at the community level, in a move aimed at improving access to care.

The Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Guidelines were validated during a board meeting led by NACADA chairperson Stephen Mairori.

They establish an operational framework for decentralising rehabilitation services and integrating care into primary healthcare and existing community systems.

The framework comes as Kenya has 135 accredited treatment and rehabilitation facilities with a combined capacity of 3,790 beds, according to the press release.

NACADA's National Survey estimates that approximately 1.36 million Kenyans aged 15 to 65 have severe alcohol use disorder, while 887,627 have severe tobacco use disorder.

The authority identifies limited services, high treatment costs, stigma and shortages of trained addiction professionals as barriers preventing many people from accessing formal treatment.

The guidelines provide for a continuum of care covering prevention, early identification, screening, referral, treatment, recovery support, aftercare, relapse prevention and social reintegration.

Proposed interventions include community outreach, low-intensity and intensive outpatient programmes, medication-assisted treatment, peer support programmes, sober living homes, harm reduction services, mobile treatment units and faith-based programmes.

The framework also provides for the establishment of Community Coordination Committees (CCCs) to coordinate and strengthen rehabilitation services at the community level.

The committees will bring together health professionals, social workers, psychologists, Community Health Promoters, people with lived experience, families, local administrators and faith-based organisations.

Community Health Promoters will play a role in identifying people who need assistance by conducting screenings using validated tools and facilitating referrals to appropriate services.

The guidelines prioritise vulnerable and underserved populations, including people engaged in commercial sex work, persons with disabilities, out-of-school children and youth, people in contact with the criminal justice system, older persons, street-connected persons, refugees and internally displaced persons.

They also promote gender-responsive services and trauma-informed care, while providing for the involvement of families and caregivers throughout the recovery process.

Social reintegration is a key component of the framework. The measures include reducing stigma, supporting family and community reintegration, providing educational support, vocational training, employment assistance and housing support.

The guidelines recognise that recovery extends beyond clinical treatment to restoring dignity, functionality and a sense of belonging within families and communities.

To monitor implementation and outcomes, the framework establishes monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, including a standardised national curriculum for training community-based rehabilitation personnel, supervision and mentorship structures, and indicators for tracking programme performance and client outcomes.

Data collection tools will be aligned with national health information systems, including the Electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS).

The framework also sets out ethical and human rights safeguards, including informed consent, confidentiality, data protection and protection against abuse and exploitation.

It includes conflict-of-interest provisions prohibiting partnerships with the alcohol, tobacco and other harmful substance industries.

Following the validation, NACADA is expected to move to the implementation phase in partnership with county governments and community organisations to expand access to rehabilitation services at the community level.