ISSUP KENYA was honoured to participate in the Pathways to Progress Summit, held on 29th January 2026 at Parklands Baptist Church, bringing together practitioners, civil society, faith leaders, and community stakeholders in substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Dr. Pamela Kaithuru, President of ISSUP Kenya, represented the Chapter at the Summit and delivered key reflections on the importance of professionalism, ethical standards, and evidence-based practice. She emphasized continuous learning, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, and encouraged stakeholders to take advantage of...

A new chapter in training has begun at ISSUP. A new Training Team has been formed with the goal of improving the accessibility and relevance of ISSUP’s training, while ensuring it reflects the learning needs of members worldwide.

In the early months of its work, the team carried out a training needs assessment to better understand members’ online learning needs. At the same time, the team engaged with several Learning Management System (LMS) providers to explore options for a new platform that supports accessible, high-quality learning. The proposals received are now being reviewed.

This...

We’re excited to share that ISSUP has successfully launched the pilot of the Investing in Evidence-Based Prevention (IEP) Workshop, attended by 18 participants from 17 countries. The workshop was delivered in two online sessions, held on 14 and 21 August, bringing together policy-makers, decision-makers and funders. 

The IEP workshop was developed by Jeff Lee, and Rachele Donini, together with the Scientific Support Team (SST). The pilot was delivered by Rachele Donini as trainer. 

The first session, Introduction to Prevention Science, focused on the fundamentals of prevention...

ISSUP -KENYA joined key stakeholders at the Alcohol and Substance Use Prevention and Management Technical Working Group meeting held at Four Points by Sheraton, Nairobi. This important forum, convened by the Ministry of Health – Kenya, brought together partners including the World Health Organization, NACADA, NCD Alliance Kenya, the International Institute for Legislative Affairs, the Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance (KETCA), Kenya Medical Training College, among others.

As ISSUP Kenya, we continue to champion evidence-based approaches to substance use prevention, capacity building, and...

The 68th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was held in Vienna, Austria, from March 10–14, 2025. As the primary policy-making body of the United Nations on drug-related matters, the CND plays a pivotal role in shaping global drug policy, overseeing the implementation of international drug control treaties, and responding to emerging challenges in drug demand and supply reduction. The annual session brings together member states, UN agencies, civil society organizations, scientists, and law enforcement bodies to review global drug trends, exchange best practices, and negotiate...

This week, we say goodbye to our dear friend and mentor, Jeff Lee, the founding Executive Director of ISSUP. Jeff was a steadfast advocate for the professionalization of prevention, insisting that those working in this field should be appropriately specialized. He often reminded us that while generalists and treatment specialists are well-meaning and deeply embedded within their communities, they are not always best placed to develop and implement evidence-based prevention systems. Jeff emphasized that prevention must be treated as a distinct science—one that is grounded in rigorous research...