ECOWAS Intensifies Regional Fight Against Drug Abuse, Launches 2024 WENDU Report In Banjul
In a renewed effort to combat the rising challenge of drug abuse across West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched the 2024 edition of the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) Report in Banjul, The Gambia.
The event, held on 15 October 2025, was spearheaded by the ECOWAS Commission’s Department of Human Development and Social Affairs, marking a major step in strengthening evidence-based policymaking to address drug demand and trafficking across the subregion.
WENDU, a strategic ECOWAS initiative, gathers critical data on drug consumption and supply through national focal points and surveillance sites spread across ECOWAS member states and Mauritania.
The 2024 report, the fifth of its kind, provides updated estimates and regional trends on drug use and trafficking, offering policymakers actionable insights for programming, advocacy, and intervention.
Experts say the findings will play a crucial role in shaping sustainable public health and security responses as the region continues to confront the social and economic impacts of illicit drug use.
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