Summary

Every year, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) releases the World Drug Report, providing in-depth analysis of global and regional trends in drug demand, supply, and emerging threats. As drug markets continue to evolve, policymakers, researchers, and organizations rely on this report for vital insights that shape drug prevention, treatment, and enforcement strategies.

In 2024, Abbott hosted a webinar featuring Dr. Kamran Niaz, a lead contributor to the World Drug Report and Epidemiologist at UNODC. Building on last year’s discussion, we invite you to join Dr Niaz once again to explore the latest findings immediately after the 2025 report’s official launch.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will

• Gain expert insights into the shifting landscape of global drug trends.
• Understand the implications for health policy, enforcement, and harm reduction.
• Engage in a thought-provoking discussion with international experts and stakeholders.

Presenter Biography

Dr Kamran Niaz, is a public health physician with post-graduate training in public health and a major in epidemiology. Dr Niaz is currently working as the Senior Epidemiologist in the Research Branch, United Nations office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Austria.

Over the past 30 years, mainly working with UNODC, his focus of work has been on epidemiology of substance use and HIV and AIDS among people who use drugs. He has also worked in the area of prevention of substance use and treatment of substance use disorders.

Over the past 25 years he has led the design and implementation of population-based surveys, studies and assessments on drug use and health consequences in a number of low- and middle-income countries. Since 2010, he is one of the main contributors of the UNODC flagship publication the World Drug Report in which he has contributed to a range of topics including the recent policy developments and regulatory changes of some of the controlled substances.

Dr Niaz is a long-standing member of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH).