African countries have been called upon to curb the harmful use of alcohol, a practice which experts say poses a serious threat to the Region’s health and development efforts. The call was made in Yaoundé, Cameroon, by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, in a report to the annual meeting of health ministers from 46 countries which constitute the WHO African Region. Dr Sambo proposes a ten-point action plan to curb the harmful consumption of alcohol. These are:

• regulating availability;
• restricting sale;
• regulating marketing;
• increasing taxes and prices;
• enacting, strengthening or enforcing drinking and driving laws;
• establishing and strengthening alcohol information and surveillance systems;
• increasing community action;
• strengthening health sector response;
• raising political commitment; and
• building partnerships.

In his report, the Regional Director says that in 2000 and 2002, estimates of total deaths in the Region due to harmful use of alcohol showed a significant burden of 2.1% and 2.2%, respectively; globally, in 2000, harmful use of alcohol was responsible for 4% of the burden of disease and 3.2% of all deaths. Dr Sambo’s report also speaks of increases in alcohol consumption and changes in drinking patterns among adolescents, as well as the narrowing gap between men and women drinkers. The report lists the health and social costs of harmful alcohol use, both to the individual consumer and to society. These include unemployment; crime and violence, especially against women; and increased admission to health-care facilities. Intoxication and chronic effects of alcohol can lead to permanent health damage (e.g. fetal alcohol syndrome), neuropsychiatric and other disorders, traumatic injury or even death (through road traffic accidents), and high-risk sexual behaviour leading to sexually-transmitted infections, including HIV. Alcohol use in African countries includes both home-brewed and industrial beverages, with industrial beverages tending to be consumed along with home-made brews, rather than replacing them. Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa