WHO-RC73 adopts 'harmful alcohol and drug' plan
Zolani Kraai | Tuesday September 5, 2023 06:00
One of the key concerns raised was the proliferation of illegal and informal alcohol brewing, distilling, and sales, alongside the unregulated practice of home brewing, exemplified by concoctions like Modaefok.
Delegates at the WHO-RC73 meeting, held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC), unanimously adopted the action plan. They noted that the challenges encompassed limited and weak regulations regarding where and to whom alcohol could be sold, the absence of comprehensive drug and alcohol control policies, and a lack of coordination amongst different sectors. Additionally, the high costs of private rehabilitation facilities and inadequate regulation in this domain were identified as pertinent issues affecting many WHO-African member states.
The meeting emphasized the concept of "harmful use of alcohol" defining it as drinking that leads to detrimental health and social consequences for the drinker, those around them, and society as a whole, as well as patterns of drinking associated with elevated risks of adverse health outcomes. Amongst the concerns discussed were the prevalence of foetal alcohol syndrome in the African region, standing at 14.8 per 10,000 populations, and the prevalent use of opioids and cannabis.
Cannabis was noted to be used by approximately seven percent of the African population, rising to 10% in West and Central Africa. Globally, alcohol is recognised as a causative factor in over 200 diseases and injuries, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, suicide, liver diseases, road accidents, violence, and communicable diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Moreover, there has been a significant 45% increase in drug use disorders worldwide between 2011 and 2021. While scholars have conducted studies addressing these issues in sub-Saharan Africa, the region has historically been characterised by weak alcohol policies, a high proportion of abstainers, and heavy episodic drinking among those who do consume alcohol.
Furthermore, the region has been targeted for expansion by global alcohol producers, but inter-regional analyses of these issues are limited. Several publications, such as 'Alcohol consumption, harms and policy developments in sub-Saharan Africa: The case for stronger national and regional responses’ (Morejele et al) in the Drug and Public Review, highlight the pressing need for effective alcohol control measures in the SADC region to mitigate the worsening impact of alcohol-related harms. Another study by Joseph Pitso in April 2011, titled 'Botswana alcohol policy and the Presidential levy controversy' examined alcohol policies in the country, including a substantial levy imposed on alcohol sales by then-president Ian Khama. Pitso’s findings in 2011 revealed that legislation addressing excessive alcohol consumption in Botswana had been proposed and enacted since independence in 1966. A draft national alcohol policy was also under discussion.
This policy aimed to protect the rights of adult citizens to purchase and consume alcohol safely while safeguarding vulnerable groups, particularly youth aged between 15 and 35 years, against the adverse effects of alcohol. In 2008, two years before Pitso’s assessment, controversy had erupted over Khama's proposal to impose a 70% levy on alcohol products, later reduced to 30%. This matter remains pending for review by the current government led by President Mokgweetsi Masisi, in accordance with the WHO-73 resolution regarding the implementation of the alcohol action plan. Pitso's conclusion in 2011 underscored the need to scrutinise the industry's influence on the alcohol debate and prioritise public health interests when developing and implementing a national alcohol policy, a goal that the WHO-Afro region is eager to achieve.
In the near future, it will be essential to assess the progress made by WHO-Afro member states in implementing priority interventions and actions aimed at achieving various objectives by 2030. These interventions include raising excise taxes, regular price reviews, reducing alcohol affordability, acceptability, and availability, implementing robust measures against drinking and driving, and strengthening the healthcare sector's capacity to address alcohol use disorders.