Global Alcohol Strategy Talks Held in Auckland

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is developing a draft global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, in accordance with a resolution by the World Health Assembly that a draft strategy be developed in collaboration with member states, by 2010. As part of the consultation process, WHO is holding six meetings with member states around the world.

On 24-26th March 2009 it was the turn of the Western Pacific Region. Representatives from 28 countries in the Western Pacific Region gathered in Auckland for one of the meetings to workshop strategies to reduce harmful use of alcohol, aided by a “discussion paper for regional technical consultations”. Dr Vladimir Poznyak, Coordinator of Management of Substance Abuse, attended from the WHO headquarters in Geneva, as did Dr Wang Xiangdong, the Western Pacific Regional Advisor in Mental Health and Control of Substance Abuse. Hon Peter Dunne, Associate Minister of Health, opened the meeting with an address. The meeting was chaired by Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Chief Advisor Public Health (Ministry of Health).

Dr Bloomfield noted that “the countries represented at the meeting could not have been more diverse – from populous Asian countries like China, to islands of the Pacific, some with small populations such as Nuie and Tokelau. Yet all the countries had issues around the harmful use of alcohol and recognised the need for a range of policies and interventions.”

The countries represented had diverse alcohol markets, with different mixes of commercial alcohol production, imports and homebrew. The purpose of WHO’s consultation process is to draw out the range of policy options and tools, and seek guidance from member states as to which policies a global strategy should encourage, how to account for diversity, and what practical steps need to be taken to help countries implement the strategy. Alcohol is a development issue. As explained by Dr Poznyak, “alcohol consumption tends to rise as developing countries become more affluent. It is important that alcohol policy responses are developed alongside economic development. This is something that particularly affects countries with limited resources, such as the Pacific Islands.”  A global alcohol strategy will support international, regional and national-level action on alcohol issues by being an authoritative document that officials and advocates can reference when engaging with decision-makers in their own countries.

The next stage in the development of the global alcohol strategy is that a document will be released in July 2009 for further consultation. It is expected that the strategy will be adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2010. The global alcohol strategy will complement regional strategies. Many readers will be aware of the Western-Pacific Regional Strategy to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harm, and the draft regional plan of action.

As for the Auckland talks, by all accounts these were a success, with the WHO delegates leaving with the information they wanted, Auckland putting on sunny mild weather, and participants also enjoying a couple of evening social occasions hosted by the Ministry of Health, ALAC and the NZ Drug Foundation.  We look forward to the global alcohol strategy coming to fruition.

New Zealand was represented by Chris Laurenson, Team Leader, National Drug Policy, Ministry of Health, and Gerard Vaughan, CEO of ALAC. The meetings were chaired by Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Chief Advisor Public Health (Ministry of Health). Also participating as an advisor to WHO was Prof Sally Casswell (SHORE).  

For more about the global alcohol strategy: http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/en/ Hon Peter Dunne’s address: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/address-open-world-health-organisation-western-pacific-region-technical-meeting