Addis Ababa: Rep. Laila Dahi Takes Part in Fifth Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Health, Nutrition, Population, and Drug Control

Rep. Laila Dahi of the National Rally of Independents, representing the President of the Pan-African Parliament, is taking part in the Fifth Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Health, Nutrition, Population, and Drug Control, held on August 5-9, 2024, at the African Union's Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Session tackles the theme: “Cultivating Wellness in Africa: Holistic Approaches to Health, Nutrition, Population, Drug Control, Crime Prevention, and Education.” The Session’s order of business covers the presentation and discussion of numerous reports and action strategies, such as the African Epidemiology Network’s report on drug use and the AU's 2024-2030 Digital Health Strategy, in order to share experiences and perspectives and propose solutions to improve health systems in Africa and combat drug use and crimepropagation on the continent.

During the Session, Rep. Laila Dahi presented the resolution adopted by the plenary session of the Pan-African Parliament in July 2024 on “The Scourge of Drug and Substance Abuse as a Barrier to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality, and Relevant Education in Africa,” which mandated the members of the Pan-African Parliament to ensure that adequate national budgets are allocated for youth participation in drug prevention programs.

The Representative also highlighted that substance abuse hinders the provision of a conducive learning environment and the development of the human capital necessary for socio-economic progress on the continent. To address this challenge, she recalled that the African Youth Caucus in the Pan-African Parliament is taking proactive measures by working to strengthen legislative frameworks and advocating for the adoption of policies and strategies that would achieve the desired goals.

It should be noted that Rep. Laila Dahi is a member of the National Parliamentary Representation to the Pan-African Parliament and serves as Chairperson of the Youth Caucus of this continental parliamentary institution.