Mentor Arabia participated in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region webinar “International Standards for Drug Use Prevention,” organized as part of the regional webinar series on accelerating public health action on substance use. The session was led by Ms. Giovanna Campello, Chief of the Health and Development Section at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and Dr. Valentina Baltag, Head of the Child, Adolescent and Older People’s Health Unit at the World Health Organization (WHO).
The webinar provided a comprehensive overview of the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention, highlighting the scientific evidence underpinning effective prevention and the importance of implementing interventions that are developmentally appropriate, evidence-based, and tailored to different stages of life. Speakers emphasized that prevention extends beyond awareness-raising and should focus on strengthening protective factors, reducing risk factors, and promoting healthy development across the lifespan.
The session also highlighted the importance of adopting multisectoral approaches that engage families, schools, communities, healthcare systems, and policymakers in creating supportive environments for children, adolescents, and young people. Particular emphasis was placed on the role of quality standards, prevention systems, and sustained investment in evidence-based interventions to maximize public health impact.
Mentor Arabia’s participation reflects its continued commitment to advancing evidence-based prevention, aligning its programs with internationally recognized standards, and strengthening prevention capacities across the Arab region through the adoption of proven, science-based approaches.
