WHO Technical Consultation on the Public Health Problems caused by harmful use of Alcohol

WHO Technical Consultation on the Public Health Problems caused by harmful use of Alcohol in the African Region

8 May 2006

WHAT? WHO? Technical Consultation on the Public Health Problems caused by harmful use of Alcohol in the African Region

WHEN? 10 - 12 May 2006

WHERE? Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.

WHO? The consultation will be attended by 22 participants with varied profiles including psychiatrists, psychologists, scientists, researchers, physicians, policy makers and teachers.

Others are Ministry of Health programme managers responsible for alcohol and illicit drug use, NGOs and members of self-help groups.

The consultation will be facilitated by:

• Dr Vladmir Poznyak, Coordinator of the Management of Substance Abuse Unit, WHO-HQ
• Pr Charles D.H. Parry, Director of Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa.
• Dr Isidore Obot, Scientist Management of Substance Abuse Unit, WHO-HQ

WHY? World-wide, about two million people - a sizable proportion in Africa - consume alcoholic beverages. About 76.3 million of these have alcohol use disorders. From a public health perspective, the global burden related to alcohol consumption, both in terms of morbidity and mortality is considerable, increasingly so in African countries.

Globally, alcohol consumption causes 3.2% of all deaths (1.8 million) and 4% (58.3 million) of Disability - Adjusted life years lost.

The Consultation will review the situation in the Region and collect inputs to consolidate a programme to be developed to address the problem.