Addiction Practitioners Forum 2022 (1 – 2 JULY)

The South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA) which is the host organization for ISSUP South Africa recently hosted another world-class, innovative conference dubbed the Addiction 2022 Practitioners Forum (APF) under the theme “Unmasking Substance Use Disorder Treatment”.

Addiction Practitioner’s Forum is a professional development opportunity for critical players in the medical and therapeutic management of substance use disorders (SUD) at various stages of an individual’s treatment journey. This initiative was instituted to sustain the momentum following the 1st Addiction Conference in 2021 and ahead of the 2nd Addiction Conference scheduled for the 27th to 29th June 2023.

Mrs Adrie Vermeulen in her opening address described the APF 2022 as a practical solution with a primary focus on the workforce dealing with SUD. Mr Roger Weiman, the chairperson for ISSUP South Africa characterized the forum as a necessary intervention considering the increasing prevalence of SUD in South Africa.

The design of the 2-day forum was based on a case study that predicts the different roles each professional plays in the treatment process. The first plenary session drew attention to the latest trends in drug use alongside the current psychoactive substances in South Africa. Whereas the other plenary sessions explored the ethical considerations and principals in SUD management.

Prof Goodman Sibeko, the Director of International Technology Transfer Center Network (ITTC) who served as the chairman of this year’s APF reiterated the description of the 2022 conference as a knowledge and skill hub for addiction practitioners in their pursuit to provide the best care possible.

The sessions which were interspersed with very exciting workshops hosted by ITTC ended with a compelling panel discussion by experts from various professions tackling complex questions around SUD.