Adut Christina, Executive Director of the South Sudan Women Empowerment Network, speaking during Eye Radio’s Zone 72 Youth program on Saturday. Photo credit: Awan Moses/Eye Radio.

A women’s rights advocate has called for the establishment of affordable rehabilitation centers in all the states and three administrative areas to help address rising drug abuse among young people.

Adut Christina, Executive Director of the South Sudan Women Empowerment Network, said communities across South Sudan continue to face challenges in dealing with drug abuse.

“Drug abuse is associated with so many things except the fact that people come to terms with it and accept that this is what it is and the fact that you don’t even have help out there, you don’t even have a rehabilitation center, you don’t have even a way about it, it becomes a norm and these young ,girls keep misbehaving and also continue to contradict themselves in so many ways,” she said, speaking on Eye Radio’s Zone 72.

She said the lack of rehabilitation centers in the country remains a major obstacle to helping those affected and reducing the growing problem.

“The next also I would emphasize in building rehabilitation centers, actually affordable rehabilitation centers because we don’t see them here, we don’t see rehabilitation centers in the country, so definitely at least every state and administrative area must have a rehabilitation center because this is everywhere now,” he added.

Adut also stressed that unemployment among young people is contributing to drug abuse.

She said many youths have the potential to be productive but lack opportunities to work and earn a living.

She urged the government and partners to invest in rehabilitation services and create more employment opportunities to help young people stay away from drugs and build a better future.