(GCC Statistical Center) Issues Unified Guide for Indicators Measuring the Performance of the GCC Strategy to Combat Drugs
Muscat, Aug 10 (KUNA) -- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Statistical Center issued a unified guide for performance indicators related to the GCC Strategy for Combating Drugs (2025–2028), aiming to monitor its implementation, enhance data accuracy, and improve comparability among GCC member states to support policy-making and decision-making.
In a statement on Monday, the Center said the initiative aims to standardize the metadata of these indicators to build an integrated GCC database on the drug situation, measure the impact of preventive, therapeutic, and security interventions, and strengthen cooperation among member states in confronting this phenomenon through the adoption of unified concepts and methodologies for data collection, analysis, and periodic publication.
The statement noted that the GCC Strategy is based on a vision targeting global leadership in unified strategic planning to combat drugs by enhancing cooperation and coordination among member states, developing policies, exchanging information and expertise, and applying international best practices to mitigate the effects of this scourge regionally and internationally.
It highlighted that the strategy rests on six main objectives: enhancing the immunity of GCC societies against drugs; strengthening anti-smuggling efforts using modern technologies and artificial intelligence; activating international partnerships; combating money laundering linked to drug trafficking; building an integrated and secure GCC system; and developing legislation in line with international conventions.
The statement clarified that the unified guide includes 12 key indicators to measure the performance of the GCC Strategy, covering various preventive, therapeutic, security, and judicial aspects. One indicator measures the rate of new users and the proportion of individuals who started using drugs for the first time during the last 12 months out of the total population at risk, aiming to track the onset of use and evaluate the effectiveness of preventive programs. This indicator is updated every one to five years, depending on the data source.
It also measures the rate of drug use among school students and the prevalence of use among students in targeted age groups, supporting early intervention and the design of preventive programs within the school environment. This indicator is issued periodically every one to five years.
Another indicator measures the rate of treatment, rehabilitation, and social integration services, as well as the proportion of individuals in need of treatment who actually receive therapeutic, rehabilitative, or social integration services, reflecting the readiness of health and social systems. This indicator is issued annually.
The relapse rate indicator in drug use cases measures the proportion of recovered individuals who returned to drug use after treatment, serving as one of the key indicators of the effectiveness of treatment and rehabilitation programs. It is issued annually.
Additionally, the indicator measuring the rate of arrested dealers and traffickers assesses the proportion of suspects arrested or referred to justice compared to the total number of drug trafficking and distribution cases, reflecting the efficiency of security efforts.
According to the Center, the indicator measuring the rate of seizures at ports and border crossings evaluates anti-smuggling efforts across land, sea, and air borders through four measurement mechanisms: the proportion of seizures compared to estimated smuggling quantities, or to total national seizures, or per number of cases, or per million travelers or shipments. This indicator is updated annually.
To measure the impact of drugs on public health, the indicator measuring the mortality rate due to drug use calculates deaths per 100,000 inhabitants or as a percentage of total deaths, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of prevention and treatment programs. This indicator is issued annually.
The GCC Statistical Center, headquartered in the Sultanate of Oman, was established in 2011 as the official body responsible for data, information, and statistics related to the GCC countries, as well as for enhancing statistical and informational work among national statistical centers and planning authorities within the member states. (End) M.J.B./S.M.A.
