Innovation and Action: Youth Voices in SUD Prevention and Treatment in Africa

ISSUP Global presents a webinar on: Innovation and Action: Youth Voices in Substance Use Prevention and Treatment in Africa

Date: Thursday, 25th June, 2026

Time: 3 PM London | 4PM EAT | 10 AM EDT

Language: The event will be in English with interpretation available in Spanish.

Register for the Webinar

The world drug problem continues to evolve, presenting both longstanding and emerging challenges for young people. While issues such as stigma , limited access to prevention and treatment services, and insufficient awareness of evidence-based interventions remain significant barriers, new challenges, including changing drug markets, emerging substances, digital influences, and the growing intersection between substance use and mental health, require innovative responses that empower young people as partners in prevention, advocacy , and solutions.

This webinar explores the role of young people in addressing substance use challenges across Africa. Aligned with the 2026 UNODC World Drug Day theme, "World drug problem: persisting issues, new challenges, innovative responses,"the session will examine  persistent and emerging substance use challenges affecting young people including stigma, limited access to services, evolving drug markets, novel substances, digital influences, and the growing intersection between substance use and mental health, and highlight innovative, youth-led responses that are shaping prevention, treatment, recovery , and community action.

Organised by the ISSUP Youth Network in commemoration of the 2026 UNODC World Drug Day, it will bring together youth leaders and young professionals from across Africa to discuss current realities, share experiences, and showcase promising practices in substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Through presentations and an interactive panel discussion, participants will explore:

•  The evolving substance use landscape for young people in Africa.
• Emerging risks and vulnerabilities related to the evolving drug landscape.
• Youth-led prevention initiatives and community responses.
• Innovative approaches to treatment and recovery support.
• Opportunities for strengthening youth participation in policy and programme development.

The webinar will provide a platform for knowledge exchange, regional collaboration, and the promotion of evidence-based, youth-centred responses to substance use disorders.

Intended audience:    

This session would be of value to:

• Young professionals working in substance use field, mental health, and public health.
• Youth leaders and youth advocates.
• Students and early-career practitioners.
• Policymakers and government representatives.
• Community-based and civil society organisations.
• Researchers and academics.
• Anyone interested in youth engagement and evidence-based responses to substance use.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the webinar, participants will:

1. Understand the relevance of the 2026 UNODC World Drug Day theme within the African context.

2. Describe and identify challenges and emerging drug-related risks affecting young people in the region

3. Recognise emerging trends and risks shaping the current drug landscape.

4. Describe innovative youth-led approaches to substance use

5. Explore opportunities for strengthening youth engagement in policy, programme development, and service delivery.

6. Highlight examples of effective community-based and recovery-oriented responses from different African countries.

7.  Promote regional collaboration, peer learning, and knowledge exchange among young professionals, youth leaders, and organisations working in the substance use field.

References:

1. World drug Day. UNODC. https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/drugs/index-new.html

2. World Drug Report 2025. https://www.unodc.org/unodc/data-and-analysis/world-drug-report-2025.html

Presenter:
 

Dr Mulka Nisic

Faith and Youth Project Coordinator, ISSUP

Dr Mulka Nisic holds a PhD in Business, Law and Social Sciences specialising in Criminology and Social Justice, and an MSc in Desistance from Crime. Her work focuses on the intersection of substance use and drug-related offending, with particular attention to the social and structural factors shaping vulnerability to substance use, crime involvement, and pathways toward resilience, recovery, and desistance.

She currently serves as Faith and Youth Project Coordinator at ISSUP, where she leads global activities under the Faith and Youth Workplan aimed at strengthening the workforce in delivering community and faith-based responses to substance use. Her work also focuses on supporting youth engagement, professional capacity building for early-career professionals, and facilitating cross-regional and global knowledge exchange.

Deogratius J. Ramale

Psychologist and Youth Representative for Africa, ISSUP National Chapters Advisory Committee

Deogratius J. Ramale is a psychologist from Tanzania with over six years of experience in substance use prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation . He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and currently works as a Psychologist at a government agency, supporting evidence-based responses to substance use and mental health challenges.

He is a certified trainer in several Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) and Universal Prevention Curriculum (UPC) courses and serves as Head of Development and Training within the ISSUP Tanzania Chapter, contributing to workforce development and professional capacity-building initiatives.

Deogratius has a strong interest in supporting young people and advancing the development of the young substance use professional workforce across Africa. As the Youth Representative for the African Region on the ISSUP National Chapters Advisory Committee, he works to ensure youth voices are meaningfully represented, promotes youth-tailored programmes, and supports active youth participation in shaping ISSUP’s strategies and initiatives across the continent.

Janemy Obiny

Youth Chairperson, ISSUP Kenya Chapter

Janemy Obiny is a psychologist and youth leader advancing preventive mental health and substance use prevention among young people. Her work focuses on translating evidence-based prevention science into practical, scalable interventions that equip young people with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive.

She currently serves as Youth Chairperson of the ISSUP Kenya Chapter, where she leads youth engagement strategies, convenes trainings and dialogues, and contributes to strengthening regional and global collaboration in prevention. Through her work, she supports a multi-level approach that integrates policy advocacy, education, and research, with a particular focus on adolescents and school-going communities.

Janemy has facilitated evidence-based prevention trainings reaching more than 1,000 peer counsellors and has contributed to large-scale prevention and advocacy initiatives, including stakeholder engagement, knowledge product development, and high-impact events promoting youth participation. Her experience spans collaboration with partners across Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Her expertise includes youth engagement, programme design, network development, stakeholder collaboration, coordination, and knowledge translation. She is trained in the Universal Prevention Curriculum and specialised youth engagement approaches and is committed to positioning young people as active leaders in shaping preventive mental health systems and responses within their communities.

Kutlwano Morris

Founder and CEO, Tsalwa-Sesha Mental Health Services

Ms Kutlwano Morris is a counselling professional with a Master's Degree in Counselling and Human Services from the University of Botswana. She holds specialised certifications in substance abuse counselling and is a certified Trainer of Trainers (ToT) in the Universal Prevention Curriculum (Core) and Youth Engagement in Prevention.

Her professional experience spans mental health, substance use prevention, counselling, and the training of future mental health professionals. She is the Founder and CEO of Tsalwa-Sesha Mental Health Services, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing substance use disorder counselling, mental health support, and life-skills training for young people and their families.

Ms Morris currently serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Phronesis International College and as part-time Clinical Program Manager at Botswana Substance Abuse Support Network (BOSASNet), where she oversees clinical and prevention-focused programmes.

She is also the Youth Representative for Substance Use Prevention in Botswana under the ISSUP Botswana Chapter, advocating for meaningful youth involvement in prevention initiatives and promoting evidence-based approaches to substance use prevention and mental health. She is committed to strengthening prevention, treatment, and recovery support systems within Botswana and across Africa.

Josiah Siame

Medical Student Intern and Youth Health Advocate

Josiah Siame is a dedicated medical student intern with a strong passion for youth advocacy and health promotion. Over the past several years, he has been actively involved in community-based health programmes focusing on mental health, substance use prevention, and youth empowerment.

He is currently pursuing a degree in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Zambia (UNZA) and is committed to bridging the gap between healthcare and youth leadership in Zambia. Through his work and advocacy, Josiah promotes youth participation in health initiatives and supports efforts aimed at improving wellbeing, resilience, and access to evidence-based prevention and support services for young people.

Moderator:

Jerry Okeno

Counseling psychologist, mental health advocate

Jerry Okeno is a counseling psychologist, mental health advocate and youth leader whose work focuses on mental health promotion, substance use prevention, youth empowerment, and community well-being. His interests lie in strengthening community-based mental health systems, advancing youth participation in public health initiatives and promoting evidence-based approaches to prevention, recovery and psychosocial support.

He currently serves as vice chair of ISSUP  Kenya Youth arm, where he supports youth engagement initiatives, professional development opportunities and capacity-building efforts for young professionals in the substance use prevention and mental health sectors. His work also contributes to advocacy, knowledge exchange and the promotion of youth voices in national, regional and global discussions on mental health and substance use prevention.

Webinars and online events delivered and hosted by the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) are provided for informational purposes only. They are educational in nature and do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.