ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 28th Feb, 2021) The National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) Abu Dhabi, a centre of excellence that collaborates with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the field of substance abuse in the middle East, today announced that it has joined the International Technology Transfer Centre (ITTC) network, making it the only entity from the region to become part of this network.
The network aims to develop the skills of professionals, organisations and systems that provide substance use prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery support services.
Dr. Hamad Al Ghafri, Director-General of the NRC, announced NRC’s affiliation at a virtual global event. Drawing the participation of senior officials from the U.S. Department of State and experts from the intergovernmental organisation, the Colombo Plan, the agenda of the event included a presentation by Dr. Dean Fixsen, the Implementation Scientist and Director, Active Implementation Research Network, Inc.
The ITTC Network will contribute to implementing the modules included in the training programmes not just in the UAE, but also in the wider region. The network covers South Africa, Ukraine and Vietnam, in addition to a coordination centre in the U.S. The ITTC’s scientific group receives support from the International Office of Drug Control and Law Enforcement (INL) of the State Department, which has a mandate to reduce drug demand, and is associated through a partnership with the International Consortium of Universities on Drug Demand Reduction (ICUDDR).
Commenting on this announcement, Dr. Al Ghafri, said, "We are proud of NRC affiliation to ITTC Network. This is a remarkable milestone for our team in supporting training opportunities, building national technical capabilities, and supporting international collaboration through NRC’s partnership with several like-minded organisations in Egypt, Sudan and Seychelles."
He noted that most of the research and technology in the field of addictions is developed in the U.S. and Europe.
"Our speciality is continuously evolving. Therefore, it is imperative to keep up to date with the recent developments in this rapidly growing field. The nature of this field has led to the development of training that includes evidence-based research such as the Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) and the Universal Prevention Curriculum (UPC)," Dr. Al Ghafri said in conclusion.
