The Vice President of Ecuador and head of the Ministry of Public Health, María José Pinto, and the European Union ambassador to Ecuador, Jekaterina Dorodnova, signed a letter of commitment on March 20 to enhance international cooperation in drug prevention, regulation, and control.
The agreement aims to align actions with national regulations, improve information systems, analyze the drug market, and develop health and social response strategies. It was signed between the Ministry of Public Health and the Cooperation Program between Latin America, the Caribbean, and the European Union on Drug Policies (COPOLAD). The agreement also includes plans to create a Commission for Analysis and Research on the Socioeconomic Phenomenon of Drugs and Mental Health as well as a National Early Warning System on Drugs in Ecuador.
COPOLAD has been working in Ecuador since June 2025 alongside the Committee for the Prevention and Eradication of Recruitment, Use, and Utilization of Children and Adolescents (COPRUUNNA) and with the Interinstitutional Drug Committee led by the Ministry of Public Health. This initiative is part of an ongoing collaboration between Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), which provides real-time information about drugs, early warnings, and risk assessments to EU member states.
Vice President Pinto said that strengthening care for children and adolescents is a priority for President Daniel Noboa Azin’s government. She stated that there are currently interinstitutional efforts focused on prevention strategies and mental health. “We have priorities supporting community projects. Our focus is to change our young people’s lives with preventive measures and early warnings to generate real opportunities for our children,” Pinto said.
European Union ambassador Dorodnova highlighted the importance of this international agreement. She agreed with national authorities on working over several areas related to preventing recruitment into drug activities and reducing demand over the next three years.
Andrés Carrazco, Undersecretary for Surveillance, Prevention, and Health Control at the ministry, said this signing represents a strategic step in international cooperation as well as modern public policy development. “These mechanisms are directly integrated as a country response that prioritizes prevention, protection, and anticipation. (…) The support from the European Union through COPOLAD strengthens our capacities and reaffirms that global challenges require coordinated responses. Today we not only sign a commitment; we consolidate a state vision: one that articulates, anticipates, and protects,” Carrazco said.
The government continues building new strategic spaces to consolidate actions focused on prevention efforts for children and youth.
