Cleveland and Cuyahoga County are at the near center of the nation-wide crisis (Cuyahoga County alone has seen a 1,000 percent increase in opioid deaths since 2007). In this Multi-Regional Project, visitors from Afghanistan, Cyprus, Morocco, Seychelles, China, and Russia will visit Cleveland to address the current opioid abuse crisis, health promotion strategies, demand reduction strategies, and current trends in understanding addiction. Given how serious the issue is, a wide-range of resource and partnership initiatives have emerged in the last few years to address addiction, treatment, and prevention. The Cuyahoga County Opiate Task Force, made up of over 50 multi-sector partners, is a great example of collaboration to educate the community on this issue. Another resource to highlight is Project DAWN, a state initiative implemented at a local hospital to provide naloxone that has been credited with saving 300+ lives.

International Visitor Leadership (IVLP) Program

Each year, over 300 professionals from around the world visit Northeast Ohio through IVLP. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, these visitors have been identified by U.S. embassies as emerging leaders in their fields. Over 50 Nobel Laureates and 335 current or former Chiefs of State or Heads of Government are alumni of this program.

By connecting with foreign leaders we strengthen Northeast Ohio’s commercial, cultural, and educational ties with the rest of the world. For more information, contact Katie Ferman, Program Officer, at kferman@ccwa.ccwa.org or click here. To get involved as a Citizen Diplomat, click here.