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The GUYDIN is an inter-agency body comprising key stakeholders from various ministries, agencies, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in drug supply and demand reduction. The Network is made up of treatment facilities, psychiatric facilities, youth and education agencies, and law enforcement agencies.
The first operations of the GUYDIN dated back to 2002, when the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)/Global Assessment Programme (GAP) supported the first Network Meeting in Guyana, which was held under the umbrella of the Drug Epidemiology and Surveillance System Project (DAESSP) and the Ministry of Health.
The Network was then known as the “Guyana Drug Information System (Guyana DIN)” this collaborative effort led to the publication of the Annual National Report 2002 and Network Meeting. The completion of this report was made possible by the cooperation and input of staff from the National Council for Drug Education, Rehabilitation, and Treatment (NACDER) and members of the Fledgling Network who took the time to complete the National Drug Network’s Data Collection form. Drug related activities in Guyana come under the umbrella of the National Anti-Narcotic Commission, which is chaired by the President of the Country and managed by a Secretariat, which was located in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
It was recommended in the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism 2006 that the Ministry of Home Affairs develop and implement an integrated system for collecting, analysing, maintaining, and disseminating drug-related statistics.
The Drug Information Needs and Resources Analysis (INRA) for Guyana was completed to aid in the development of a Drug Information Network in Guyana, with the goal of establishing Guyana’s capacity to collect information on drug abuse. The INRA was used to generate a list of potential drug information network data sources.
The Guyana Drug Information Network held its first meeting on August 21, 2009, at the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Network included treatment facilities, psychiatric facilities, youth and education agencies, and law enforcement agencies.
Create an interactive network of counter-drug professionals and agencies.
Identification of national sources of drug information.
Develop standardized ways of collecting and reporting information to the Drug Oversight Committee and other appropriate Units.
Conduct data collection and monitoring at the national level.
Analyze and interpret the data and information collected.
Conduct at least one network meeting quarterly where members discuss their data.
In order to increase understanding of the country’s complex, dynamic, and evolving drug problem, the GUYDIN is committed to providing evidence that allows discussions and decisions on a wide range of issues to be informed by accurate, centrally available, local data.
The monitoring specific aspects of the drug situation has historically been a difficult and complex
phenomenon. The Guyana Drug Information Network provides holistic insight into the various
aspects of the drug situation for a comprehensive understanding of the current drug situation in
Guyana. It serves as a central hub for the exchange of drug-related information among institutions
working in the areas of drug demand reduction and supply reduction.
This multi-stakeholder initiative, in which all parties seek to collaborate and support each other’s national drug control efforts, provides a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the National Drug Strategy Master Plan over the specified years instituted.
To guide the development and implementation of supply reduction, demand reduction, risk and protective factors, institutional strengthening, and international cooperation strategies, reliable, accurate, and up-to-date data on the country’s current drug stituation are required.