Community and Workplace Alcohol Control Project.

Alcohol consumption in Uganda is reported the  highest in  the  East African region(1).Individuals drinkers above 15 years in  Uganda drink a total of 26 litres of  pure alcohol per year.This has consequently led to nearly 10{2a1e98a128fc52b8fb00bfd91388f45bcdf04d981de216d4f304706136ea10ad} of Ugandans having alcohol  use disorders.(2).If these negative trends are not reversed they will significantly increase the non-communicable disease including mental  health burden.(3). The youths age bracket that forms the biggest work force will be eroded and so the employment sector will experience a big gap.

In response to this challenge, Uganda National Association of Community and Occupational Health is implementing a Community and Work place Alcohol Control Project in sugar producing communities since 2012 with support from IOGT.NTO Movement Sweden. This project is implemented in Jinja and Masindi where harmful consumption of alcohol is highly prevalent and documented by research. The availability and affordability of raw materials for illicit alcohol production in these communities, in the recent past, has presented an opportunity for high alcohol production and therefore hazardous and harmful consumption.

The project aims to improve the health and socio-economic status of people in sugar producing industries and surrounding communities in Jinja and Masindi districts in Uganda. It intends to achieve the following outcomes:

  1. Reduced risky alcohol consumption patterns among the communities in the project area especially among vulnerable and high risk groups (elderly, youth, women, commercial motorcyclists and fisher folk) by 2021.
  2. . Legal restrictions on density of alcohol outlets, accessibility to minors and availability are in place in the project area by 2021
  3. Alcohol issues are included in the government activities through the established alcohol control platforms in the project area by 2021.
  4. UNACOH is able to implement alcohol control programs, serve communities and report to donors.

The project expects to achieve the above outcomes through the following activities;

  1. Sensitising communities on how to prevent and control the harmful use of alcohol.
  2. Supporting workplace and community alcohol control campaigns spearheaded by community groups (women, youth, commercial cyclists, fisher folk, elderly and cultural music dance and drama groups), Village Health Teams (Community health care workers) and selected trained industry workers(TOTs).
  3. Advocating for the formulation and implementation of alcohol control regulations at Sub County and District levels.
  4. Establishing and supporting school clubs to spearhead underage drinking prevention campaigns in schools.
  5. Supporting the development of employee assistance programs and work place policies on alcohol control.
  6. Conducting alcohol related research to provide evidence of the harmful use of alcohol problem.

This project is implemented with other stakeholders including Jinja District Local Government,Masindi Local Government,Kakira Sugar Limited and Kinyara Sugar Works Limited.

References

  1. WHO. Global status report on alcohol and health 2018 [Internet]. Geneva; 2018. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/274603/9789241565639-eng.pdf
  2. Kabwama SN, Ndyanabangi S, Mutungi G, Wesonga R, Bahendeka SK, Guwatudde D. Alcohol use among adults in Uganda: findings from the countrywide non-communicable diseases risk factor cross-sectional survey. Glob Health Action. 2016;9:31302.
  3. Parry CD, Patra J, Rehm J. Alcohol consumption and non-communicable diseases: epidemiology and policy implications. Addiction [Internet]. 2011 Oct;106(10):1718–24. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21819471
  4. UNACOH .Alcohol Survey Report . 2012 (Unpublished)