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Reports of substance use in Zimbabwe paint a concerning picture of escalating prevalence of use, with over half of people admitted to inpatient mental health units reportedly experiencing a substance induced disorder. The country has gone through decades of significant political and socio-economical challenges, which are undoubtedly linked to the observed increases in substances use. Nevertheless, despite the resource constraints to adequately address substance use, the government has shown a renewed resolve to provide a comprehensive approach to address substance use in the country. However, there is a lack of clarity of the nature and extent of substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs), which in part is due to a lack of a national monitoring system for substance use in the country. Moreover, reports of a substance use crisis in Zimbabwe are predominantly based on anecdotal evidence, limiting the ability to gain an accurate picture of the situation. Therefore, a scoping review of the primary empirical evidence of substance use and SUDs is proposed in order to develop an adequately informed understanding of the nature of substance use and SUDs in Zimbabwe. Furthermore, the review will embed an assessment of the response to substance use, together with an analysis of the policy landscape on substance use in Zimbabwe. The PRISMA-ScR checklist will be utilised for the write up. The results of the scoping review will be essential for identifying the current state of knowledge around substance use, and identify gaps in knowledge and policy that would be a catalyst for further work to enhance knowledge and develop solutions situated within the local context. Thus the present work presents a timely effort that capitalises on current efforts by the government to address substance use in the country.

津巴布韦的物质使用（substance use）相关报告呈现出令人担忧的态势：物质使用患病率持续攀升，据报道，入住精神科住院病区的患者中有超过半数罹患物质诱导障碍（substance induced disorder）。该国数十年来经历了严峻的政治与社会经济挑战，这些挑战无疑与观测到的物质使用率上升存在密切关联。尽管在妥善应对物质使用问题上面临资源约束，津巴布韦政府仍展现出全新的坚定决心，将采取综合举措解决国内的物质使用问题。然而，目前对于物质使用及物质使用障碍（Substance Use Disorders, SUDs）的本质与覆盖范围尚不明确，部分原因在于该国缺乏国家级的物质使用监测体系。此外，有关津巴布韦物质使用危机的报道大多基于轶事证据，这限制了人们对当前局势形成准确认知的能力。因此，本研究拟针对物质使用与SUDs的原始实证证据开展范围综述（scoping review），以充分了解津巴布韦境内物质使用及SUDs的本质特征。此外，本次范围综述还将纳入物质使用应对措施的评估，以及对津巴布韦物质使用相关政策图景的分析。本次撰写将采用PRISMA-ScR（Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews）清单。本次范围综述的结果将有助于明确当前物质使用领域的认知现状，找出认知与政策层面存在的空白，进而为推动后续研究、制定贴合本土实际的解决方案提供关键支撑。因此，本研究恰逢其时，可借助津巴布韦政府当前应对物质使用问题的各项举措，助力相关工作落地。