A shocking drug treatment gap is leaving millions without essential care, with only one in 12 people worldwide receiving help despite suffering from substance use disorders, the European Union has warned.

Speaking at the 68th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, EU representatives revealed that an estimated 64 million people globally need treatment for substance use disorders, yet access remains severely limited and is actually decreasing.

Alarming Drug Treatment Gap

The statement, delivered on behalf of the EU and its member states, emphasised that achieving universal health coverage is fundamental to sustainable development goals and human rights standards. However, the drug treatment gap continues to widen rather than close, with women facing additional barriers when accessing these services.

“According to the World Drug Report 2025, even though an estimated 64 million people worldwide suffer from drug use disorders, only about 1 in 12 people receive drug treatment,” the statement highlighted.

Within the European Union itself, the drug treatment gap varies dramatically. Whilst around half of high-risk opioid users receive opioid agonist therapy – approximately 500,000 clients – coverage ranges from less than 10% to more than 85% between member states.

Rising Death Toll Intensifies Crisis

The EU also raised alarm about increasing fatalities related to substance use. In 2023, at least 7,459 overdose deaths occurred across the European Union, up from 7,145 in 2022. The mortality rate stands at 24.7 deaths per million population aged 15 to 64.

Beyond overdoses, people who use substances face elevated risks of death from violence, cardiovascular disease, cancer, infections and suicide. The statement called for more robust data on both direct and indirect causes to better understand this widening drug treatment gap and prepare more effective responses.

Synthetic Opioids Compound Treatment Challenges

The growing availability of synthetic opioids and highly potent substances such as nitazenes has intensified the urgency of closing the drug treatment gap. The EU has established a network of forensic and toxicological laboratories to strengthen analytical capacity for detecting these dangerous compounds in samples.

Member states are increasingly implementing harm reduction measures, including take-home naloxone programmes, peer-to-peer distribution initiatives and supervised consumption rooms to address treatment shortfalls.

Disparities in Harm Reduction Access

Evidence-based harm reduction interventions remain amongst the most common public health measures, yet significant gaps persist. Many people who use substances and are HIV positive or chronically infected with hepatitis C still lack access to antiviral treatment.

In some EU member states, HIV prevalence amongst people who inject substances exceeds 15%, whilst 50% are chronically infected with HCV. Needle and syringe programmes, combined with opioid agonist therapy, can reduce HCV transmission risks and help narrow the drug treatment gap.

“In order to meet the commitment to the WHO global health sector strategies to end AIDS and the epidemics of viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections by 2030, greater efforts will be needed,” the statement emphasised.

EU Investment Targets Treatment Shortfall

Since 2023, the European Union has allocated over €20 million to boost community-based health interventions and address vaccine-preventable diseases. For nearly two decades, the bloc has supported harm reduction measures for HIV, hepatitis and other communicable diseases amongst vulnerable populations.

Recognising evolving markets with growing stimulant-related problems, the EU Agency for Drugs and Addiction (EUDA), UNODC and WHO are developing a joint initiative called Scale-up. This programme aims to bridge the drug treatment gap for stimulant-related disorders through evidence-based and human rights-centred responses.

Call for Universal Access

The statement emphasised that closing the drug treatment gap requires ensuring the right to health for everyone. Healthcare and social services must be both effective and equally accessible, taking into account gender-specific experiences and the special needs of families and communities.

“The right to health for everyone must be ensured, and we should continue working towards health care and social services that are both effective and equally accessible for everyone,” EU representatives stated.

The statement urged greater integration of testing and linkage to care as an effective way to reduce persistent health inequity and narrow the drug treatment gap, including testing outside formal healthcare settings to reach vulnerable populations.

With evolving substance markets and emerging threats from synthetic opioids, the EU called for regular adaptation of treatments to emerging trends and development of new, effective forms of care in collaboration with clinical communities, scientists and civil society organisations.

Source: Public Now