On this International Day of Families, we are pleased to share the first insights from the Pan-African Parental Drug Knowledge Index (PADK-Index) 2026, a collaboration between the Parent-Child Intervention Centre (PCIC) and the World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD).

As the first continental benchmark of parental knowledge and practices related to youth drug and substance use, the PADK-Index brings together responses from 2,267 parents and guardians across 20 African countries. This effort was made possible through the engagement of WFAD members and partners who served as focal points in their respective countries, supporting outreach and data collection alongside the Parent-Child Intervention Centre.

The early findings are striking. While most parents believe children in their communities are at risk of drug use, fewer than one in three feel they have enough knowledge to protect their own child. At the same time, nearly 80% expressed willingness to participate in prevention training—showing not only the scale of the need, but also a clear readiness to engage.

Some of the graphs below highlight key findings from the study and offer an initial look at the data. More analysis, country-level insights, and reflections from the full report will be shared in the coming weeks.

On a day dedicated to recognising the role of families, these findings are a timely reminder that effective prevention must include and empower parents.