Logo WFTOD - World Federation for the Treatment of Opiod Dependence

About us

The World Federation for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence officially started during the EUROPAD conference Ljubljana, Slovenia during July 2007. At that time, members of EUROPAD and AATOD agreed to the founding principles of the organizing charter of the World Federation and signed the articles at the conclusion of the meeting in Slovenia.

EUROPAD and AATOD have worked together since the AATOD conferences of 1989 in Newport, Rhode Island. EUROPAD conducted a major panel presentation from a number of its member nations for the conference participants. EUROPAD and AATOD have exchanged such collegial presentations at all of the AATOD and EUROPAD meetings since that date, creating the foundation for the working relationship, which led to the development of the World Federation for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence.

EUROPAD and AATOD also worked together in filing an application to the NGO branch of DESA during 2010 and we were informed that our application was accepted on February 18, 2011 during the regular session of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations to the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

In the regular session held on July 25, 2011, the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations granted Special Consultative Status to the World Federation for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (WFTOD).

EUROPAD and AATOD will continue to work collaboratively in strengthening the work of the World Federation, especially as we provide assistance to nations throughout the world, which have an interest in expanding the use of approved and evidence-based medications to treat chronic opioid addiction. One of the founding principles of this Federation is to ensure that patients receive good quality care in addition to the medications that they are receiving, which involves medical and psychological support. The founding Charter of the Federation, as executed by AATOD and EUROPAD members supports such treatment interventions.

We will continue to work with all of the designated branches within the United Nations in order to train and educate clinicians, who have an interest in this work in addition to officials, who work in government as the best method of ensuring that patients get access to care wherever it is needed. The use of medications to treat chronic opioid addiction has been exhaustively researched, and has proven to improve public health by reducing HIV infection and diseases that result from untreated intravenous drug use.

The AATOD Board of Directors and the EUROPAD Board of Directors have approved this slate of officers for the World Federation for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence.

  • President: Prof. Icro Maremmani
  • Vice-President: Mark. W. Parrino
  • Treasurer: Michael Rizzi
  • Corporate Secretary: Dr. Marc Reisinger

Read the organizing charter for World Federation of the Associations for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence.