Macaronesia Islands Coordinate Regional Drug Response and Prevention Strategies

The Macaronesian islands of Madeira, Azores, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde convened on October 8-9 to share experiences and coordinate strategies addressing drug use, prevention, and addiction treatment across their archipelagos. This collaborative effort, formalized in 2025, brings together distinct public health challenges and regional solutions tailored to each island community's specific needs. The coordination aims to strengthen substance abuse prevention programs and improve access to evidence-based addiction care across the Atlantic island regions. Such inter-regional cooperation is critical for developing comprehensive drug policy frameworks that address both prevention and treatment within island healthcare systems.