boi-Jeneh Jalloh Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Alliance Franklin Umenze West African Alcohol Policy Alliance Monica H. Swahn Wellstar College of Health and Human Services, Kennesaw State University, USA Issa Bangura Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Alliance Alhassan Jalloh

Keywords: alcohol prevention, alcohol harm alcohol prevention strategies, alcohol-related harm, civil society, stakeholders

Abstract

Aims: West Africa is disproportionately harmed by alcohol consumption. However, limited information is available about the alcohol prevention strategies used by stakeholders in West Africa. In addition, there is scant awareness of health consequences from alcohol use among the communities with which stakeholders engage in alcohol prevention.

Design/Setting/Participants: A cross-sectional survey was distributed in 2020 by the West African Alcohol Policy Alliance to their member alliances and stakeholders across nine countries. Analyses were computed based on 171 persons/organizations completing the survey. 

Measures: The West Africa Alcohol Policy Alliance Capacity Assessment Survey (WAAPACAS) included questions about programs and service delivery, alcohol prevention strategies used, and community knowledge of alcohol as a risk factor for a range of health concerns.

Results: In terms of addressing alcohol-related harm, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) across West Africa engage primarily in community outreach and health promotion activities. Even so, awareness of alcohol as a risk factor for key health conditions remains relatively low, and varies by country and acute versus longer term consequences.

Conclusion: Leveraging the outreach and engagement by NGOs/CBOs will be critically important for addressing alcohol-related harm in West Africa. However, NGOs/CBOs will need additional capacity and information to convey that alcohol is a key risk factor for several health outcomes to ensure communities are more informed about the range of alcohol-related harms.

Author Biographies

boi-Jeneh Jalloh, Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Alliance

Boi-Jeneh Jalloh is the Head of Secretarat of the Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Alliance (SLAPA) and Executive Director of Foundation for Rural and Urban Transformation (FoRUT). She served as the National facilitator for the development of Sierra Leone’s National Alcohol Policy.

Franklin Umenze, West African Alcohol Policy Alliance

Franklin Umenze is the Chairperson of the West African Alcohol Policy Alliance. He is a  Senior Clinical Fellow at King's College Hospital London and former general Surgery registrar at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and has worked as Medical Officer at International Committee of the Red Cross. 

Monica H. Swahn, Wellstar College of Health and Human Services, Kennesaw State University, USA

Monica Swahn is a University Professor at Georgia State University based in Atlanta, Georgia. Swahn serves as a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Georgia State University. She previously served as the University’s associate vice president for research and as associate dean for research for the College of Health and Human Sciences.

Issa Bangura, Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Alliance

Issa Bangura is the Advocacy and Communications Officer at Defence for Children International Sierra Leone. He is a member of the Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Alliance (SLAPA).

Alhassan Jalloh

Alhassan Jalloh is the National Coordinator of the Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Alliance and Head of Programme of Foundation for Rural and Urban Transformation (FoRUT). He served as Secretary to the Alcohol Control Technical Working Group of the government of Sierra Leone that led the process in developing the National Alcohol Policy.

How to Cite

Jalloh, boi-J., Umenze, F., Swahn, M. H., Bangura, I., & Jalloh, A. (2024). Community awareness and engagement to prevent alcohol related harm: Stakeholder priorities in West Africa. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, 12(S2), S86–S90. https://doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.459

Section

Special Issue: Alcohol Prevention Research and Policy Development in LMICs

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