WHO adopts strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol in the African Region
Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) 3 September 2010 -- The sixtieth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa ended on Friday in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, after adopting five resolutions aimed at improving the health situation in the African Region including a strategy on the reduction of the harmful use of alcohol.
The other four resolutions were on: the establishment of an African Public Health Emergency Fund (APHEF); addressing the key determinants of health; the use of eHealth solutions and strengthening routine immunization and polio eradication activities in the African Region.
Regarding the reduction of harmful use of alcohol, delegates urged countries to develop, strengthen and implement evidence-based national policies and interventions and adopt and enforce necessary regulations and legislations in this area; create public awareness on alcohol-related harm, and encourage the mobilization and active engagement of all the social and economic groups concerned in reducing harmful use of alcohol.
The Regional Committee agreed that its next session would be held in Cote d'Ivoire in 2011.
Related links:
:: Working Documents - Sixtieth Session of the WHO Regional Committee
:: Media Releases - Sixtieth Session of the WHO Regional Committee
:: AFR/RC60/4 Reduction of the harmful use of alcohol: A strategy for the WHO African Region
Background information:
The strategy proposed by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo was based on five key principles to guide policy development at country level: the use of the best available evidence and sensitivity to national contexts in policy formulation; protection of people at risk, particularly harm from other people's act of drinking, and from pressures to drink; strong political commitment, leader-ship and appropriate funding; equitable and non-stigmatized access to effective prevention and care services, and undertaking of joint actions with key agencies, partners and stakeholders in a coordinated, strategic and integrated manner.
The ten priority interventions proposed in the strategy included developing and implementing alcohol control policies; strengthening leadership, coordination and mobilization of partners; generating awareness and community action; providing information-based public education; improving health sector response; and strengthening strategic information, surveillance and research systems.
Others were enforcing drink-driving legislation and counter-measures; regulating alcohol marketing; addressing accessibility, availability and affordability of alcohol; addressing illegal and informal production of alcohol; and increasing resource mobilization and allocation.
The strategy assigned specific responsibilities to countries, WHO and other development partners to ensure its successful implementation.
The strategy document assigned to WHO and partners the responsibility of supporting countries by developing and providing evidence-based tools and guidelines for policies, interven-tions and services; maintaining a regional information system and providing technical support to Member States in surveillance, monitoring and evaluation of alcohol consumption and related problems; providing them technical support in the development and review of effective and comprehensive alcohol policies and strategies; facilitating the creation and capacity building of Inter-country networking for exchange of experiences, and facilitating effective linkages, cooperation and collaboration among international agencies, partners and stakeholders.
It said that countries should: develop and implement comprehensive alcohol policies that are evidence-based and focus on public health interest; mobilize and allocate resources for alcohol policies; create public awareness on alcohol-related harm and mobilize communi-ties to support the implementation of evidence-based policy; adopt and enforce regulations and legislation aimed at reducing alcohol consumption and related harm and strengthen clinical practices; promote and strengthen independent research in order to assess the situation and monitor national trends and the impact of adopted policy measures; reinforce training and support for all those engaged in alcohol control policy activities in an attempt to increase knowledge and skills and facilitate policy implementation.
Countries are also to be responsible for establishing systems for monitoring and sur-veillance in order to capture the magnitude of alcohol consumption and related health, social and economic harms, providing information on existing laws and regulations; and contributing to the exchange of alcohol surveillance information between regions and countries.
According to WHO, public health problems related to alcohol consumption are substantial and have a significant adverse impact on both the alcohol user and the society. In the African Region, the alcohol-attributable burden of disease is increasing with an estimated total of deaths attributable to harmful use of alcohol of 2.1% in 2000, 2.2% in 2002 and 2.4% in 2004. However, with new evidence suggesting a relationship between heavy drinking and infectious diseases, alcohol-attributable deaths in the African Region could be even higher.