FORUT IN NORWAY JOINED THE SIERRA LEONE ALCOHOL POLICY ALLIANCE (SLAPA) TO COMMEMORATE WORLD NO ALCOHOL DAY OCTOBER 3RD 2022.
The General Secretary of FORUT In Norway Ida Oleanna Hagen and team as part of their Monitoring and Learning visit in Sierra Leone graced the occasion of SLAPA’s commemoration of World No Alcohol Day in Waterloo, Western Sierra Leone.The event targeted school sensitization through drama and skit performance and community level sensitization on the significance of a society free of alcohol harm. In the Western Area, SLAPA mobilized Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) Secondary School, Kissi town, Waterloo and conducted skit performance on Children and Alcohol Misuse at the Forum for African Women Educationalist (FAWE) Secondary School Waterloo.
This Day is commemorated since 2008 when a proposal was made at the World Health Assembly to adopt October 2nd, in recognition of the Indian Non-Violence Nationalist Leader Mahatma Ghandi’s Birthday as World Alcohol Free Day. The United Nations is yet to recognize this Day, however, member States including Sierra Leone is commemorating this Day.
It should be noted that Alcohol consumption contributes to 3 million deaths each year globally as well as to the disabilities and poor health of millions of people. Overall, harmful use of alcohol is responsible for 5.1% of the global burden of disease. According to World Health Organization, Harmful use of alcohol is accountable for 7.1% and 2.2% of the global burden of disease for males and females respectively. Alcohol is the leading risk factor for premature mortality and disability among those aged 15 to 49 years, accounting for 10 percent of all deaths in this age group. Disadvantaged and especially vulnerable populations have higher rates of alcohol-related death and hospitalization.
In Sierra Leone, the drive to reduce the harmful use of alcohol through Policy reforms is significantly positive as the draft Alcohol Policy awaits adoption and launch by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation. Together we can build a healthy Sierra Leone free of alcohol harm.