On 27 and 28 October 2025, Slum Child Foundation hosted the cross-regional Afri-Asia Drug Prevention Summit. The Summit was a landmark initiative designed to foster collaboration between African and Asian stakeholders in the prevention of substance abuse among children, youth, and vulnerable communities. Recognising the shared challenges of drug abuse across continents, the Summit provided a multi-sector platform for governments, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, faith-based organisations, and community representatives to share knowledge, develop evidence-based strategies, and strengthen cross-continental partnerships.

The Summit aligned with global priorities in youth development, health promotion, and sustainable community safety, emphasising the need for gender-responsive, culturally relevant interventions. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, the Summit addressed the urgent need to tackle substance use not only as a public health issue but also as a socio-economic and developmental challenge. The Slum Child Foundation has shared a summary as well as a full report covering the contributions of the two-day Summit.

Background and Rationale

Substance abuse among children and young adults continues to present a major challenge in both Africa and Asia, with consequences including poor educational outcomes, increased vulnerability to crime and exploitation, and long-term health implications. Evidence indicates that early intervention, youth empowerment, and community engagement are critical components of successful prevention.

The Afri-Asia Summit was conceived to bridge knowledge gaps and strengthen regional collaboration, recognising that many African and Asian countries face similar challenges in enforcement, rehabilitation, and policy implementation. It provides a forum for dialogue, networking, and capacity-building, enabling participants to identify scalable solutions that are both innovative and context-specific.

Objectives of the Summit

The Summit was designed with the following key objectives:

1. Promote Gender-Responsive, Youth-Focused Strategies
   Ensuring drug prevention interventions actively address the needs of both young women and men, recognising the unique vulnerabilities and social pressures faced by different genders.
2. Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building
   Facilitating workshops, training sessions, and panel discussions where practitioners, policymakers, and community leaders can share best practices, research findings, and innovative approaches to prevention.
3. Innovative and Community-Led Interventions
   Highlighting successful community initiatives from both continents and encouraging replication or adaptation in other regions.
4. Strengthening Multi-Sector Partnerships
   Promoting cooperation among civil society organisations, governments, UN agencies, and faith-based organisations to ensure sustainable, coordinated, and scalable impact.
5. Policy Influence and Regional Coordination
   Providing evidence and actionable recommendations to influence national and regional policy frameworks, ensuring drug prevention is integrated into broader youth, health, and social development agendas.

Participants

The Summit convened a diverse range of participants, including:

• Government Officials: Representatives from Ministries of Health, Youth, and Education, and regulatory agencies such as NACADA in Kenya, working to strengthen national drug-prevention frameworks.
• United Nations Agencies: UNODC, UN Women, and UNICEF participated to provide technical guidance, policy support, and frameworks aligned with global best practices.
• International NGOs: Organisations such as the Drug Free America Foundation, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), and the Fourth Wave Foundation contributed expertise in evidence-based interventions, research, and advocacy strategies.
• Youth Leaders and Community Champions: Young leaders from both Africa and Asia participated in workshops, panels, and interactive sessions to share lived experiences and practical insights.
• Faith-Based and Local Organisations: Churches, community groups, and schools engaged in dialogue about culturally relevant approaches, school-based prevention, and community mobilisation.

Summit Highlights and Activities

1. Workshops and Panel Discussions
   The Summit featured interactive workshops on early intervention strategies, life-skills education, school outreach programmes, and gender-responsive prevention. Panels highlighted policy challenges, community engagement strategies, and evidence-based programming, fostering cross-learning between continents.
2. Knowledge Sharing and Research Presentations
   Participants presented case studies and research findings demonstrating innovative approaches, successful prevention campaigns, and youth-led interventions. These sessions allowed stakeholders to translate lessons into actionable recommendations.
3. Networking and Partnership Building
   Structured networking sessions enabled organisations to explore bilateral and multilateral collaborations, linking African and Asian programmes for joint initiatives, knowledge exchange, and funding opportunities.
4. Call to Action and Policy Recommendations
   The Summit concluded with a collective statement urging governments, civil society, and international partners to strengthen prevention programmes, integrate drug-prevention into broader development strategies, and prioritise evidence-based, inclusive, and sustainable interventions.

Expected Outcomes and Impact

The Afri-Asia Summit is expected to:

• Strengthen regional networks and collaboration between African and Asian stakeholders.
• Influence national and regional policy and programme design for drug prevention.
• Promote innovative, community-led, and gender-responsive interventions that are replicable across diverse contexts.
• Enhance the capacity of youth leaders, civil society, and government partners to implement effective prevention initiatives.
• Provide a platform for continuous knowledge exchange, ensuring lessons learned during the Summit inform future programming.

Conclusion

The Afri-Asia Drug Prevention Summit represents a unique and strategic platform to unite Africa and Asia in addressing the pressing challenges of youth substance abuse. By fostering cross-continental collaboration, evidence-based programming, and multi-sector partnerships, the Summit not only addresses immediate prevention needs but also strengthens the long-term resilience of communities, youth, and civil society institutions.

It reinforces the shared commitment of governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and communities to work collaboratively toward safer, healthier, and empowered generations across both continents.