Government to Establish K250 Million National Drug Rehabilitation and Skills Development Centre in Lusaka

The Zambian government has unveiled plans to build a K250 million national drug rehabilitation and skills development centre in Lusaka,  the first of its kind in the country. The initiative aims to combat the growing challenge of drug and substance abuse among young people, a problem that is damaging families, weakening communities, and undermining the labour market.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ breakfast meeting co-hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) under the theme “The Zambia We Want”, Vice-President Mutale Nalumango stressed that the centre will represent a major step forward in tackling addiction in Zambia.

She underscored that drug addiction is a disease and should be met with compassion and empathy rather than disapproval.

The facility, to be built and operated through a public-private partnership, will provide medical care, psychological support, education, vocational training, and social reintegration services.

“For too long, rehabilitation in our country has been under-resourced, overly stigmatised, and treated as a peripheral concern. Public and private treatment facilities have been few, often overcrowded, and lacking the holistic support systems necessary for lasting recovery. It is for this reason that, in 2023, our government - under the able leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema - directed the establishment of a multi-facility rehabilitation centre to address the plight of persons struggling with drug dependency,” Mrs Nalumango said.

She called on the business community and other stakeholders to partner with President Hichilema’s administration to turn this vision into reality, ensuring that people battling addiction receive the care and opportunities they need to rebuild their lives.