Needs assessment in demand reduction programmes with special reference to African countries

Abstract

Drug abuse trends in African countries indicate an urgent need for intensive demand reduction packages to address the problem. However, enormous obstacles exist as many of these countries lack the necessary resources to assess the basic needs essential to implementing empirically-based and cost-effective programmes. This article reviews general principles of needs assessment and provides some practical guidelines appropriate to the African context. Effective cooperation and collaboration at the local, national and the international level is needed to attain the desired goals of needs assessment these countries.