International research capacity building program for health related professionals to study the drug phenomenon in Latin America and the Caribbean

Most Organization of American States member states do not have a cadre of professionals with scientific knowledge and research experience on drugs and related problems. Therefore, the Organization of American States started a partnership, first with the University of Alberta/Canada and then with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto/Canada to train health related professionals to address this problem. The objective is to create a cadre of health and related professionals with scientific and technical research knowledge to enable scientific advances in the area of drug demand reduction. The program requires the development and implementation of a multicentric drug research proposal. The program has produced the following results: nine multicentric drug research studies implemented in 22 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean; 91 participants from 22 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. This is the only program in the Americas offering continued advanced research training to university faculty and contributing to strengthen the undergraduate and graduates curriculum on drug issues and research capability in Latin America and the Caribbean