Caribbean - CARIDIN Drug Abuse Epidemiological & Surveillance System Project (CARIDIN)
The Caribbean Epidemiology Centre, (CAREC) is administered on behalf of 21 Member Countries by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Health Organization's Regional Office for the Americas. CAREC enjoys an international reputation for its work in support of Public Health in the Caribbean. The overall objective of the Caribbean Drug Information Network (CARIDIN) project is to strengthen the capacity of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) governments, technical entities and regional agencies to respond to changing drug abuse patterns and trends and contribute to the abatement of drug abuse in the region. The specific purpose of the project is to establish a sound database and "early warning" surveillance system to assist national and regional policy makers in demand reduction. As such a regional surveillance network -CARIDIN has been established with a series of sustainable activities to inform this network.
Central & Southwest Asia - Central Asian Epidemiology Work Group
A Central Asian Epidemiology Work Group, represented by one focal person from each of the five countries in Central Asia, was established in March 2001. This group has met numerous times to review and plan exercises to assess drug problems in the region. Membership expanded in 2002 to include representatives from South-west Asia (Pakistan and Iran).
Europe - European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)
The Lisbon-based European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), one of 12 decentralised European Community agencies, was set up in 1993 in response to the escalating drug problem in Europe and to demands for an accurate picture of the phenomenon throughout the European Union. The Centre became fully operational in 1995.
Mexico - Sistema de Vigilancia Epidemiológica de las Adicciones (SISVEA)
In response to the need to know about those who use licit and illicit substances, in addition to the context in which consumption occurs, SISVEA, translated from Spanish to mean the Surveillance System for Epidemiological Addictions, was developed in October 1990. Under the umbrella of the General Directorate, Ministry of Health, SISVEA has been operating for over ten years, providing periodic information on tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs and over-the-counter medication.
South Africa - South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (SACENDU)
The South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (SACENDU) was established in 1996 by the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Department of Psychology at the University of Durban-Westville with funding from the World Health Organization. SACENDU is a network of researchers, practitioners and policy makers from these four (urban) sentinel sites in South Africa. Members of SACENDU meets every six months to provide community-level public health surveillance of Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) use trends and associated consequences through the presentation and discussion of both quantitative and qualitative research data. Through this initiative SACENDU provides descriptive information on the nature and pattern of AOD use, emerging trends, risk factors associated with AOD use, characteristics of vulnerable populations, and consequences of AOD use in South Africa.
USA - Community Epidemiology Working Group (CEWG)
Established by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in 1976, the Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG) is a network composed of researchers from major metropolitan areas of the United States and selected foreign countries which meets semiannually to discuss the current epidemiology of drug abuse. The primary mission of the Work Group is to provide ongoing community-level surveillance of drug abuse through analysis of quantitative and qualitative research data. Through this program the CEWG provides current descriptive and analytical information regarding the nature and patterns of drug abuse, emerging trends, characteristics of vulnerable populations and social and health consequences.