Zambia: There is excessive beer drinking in Zambia, health minister said

There is excessive beer drinking in Zambia, The Post (Lusaka) cited health minister Sylvia Masebo saying. And stakeholders in the beer industry have begun deliberations for the creation of the National Alcohol Policy, which will regulate the consumption of alcohol in Zambia.

This also comes at a time when the World Health Organisation (WHO) is in the process of developing a global framework for alcohol consumption which is expected to be a global balance of alcohol guidelines.

"While it may sound economically advantageous to have more people consume alcohol, our stand as Ministry of Health is to preserve the lives and health of our people," remarked Masebo at the National Alcohol Policy formulation workshop yesterday.

Masebo said her ministry had been worried about the "deafening" silence on the complex and interrelated issues to the use and abuse of alcohol despite the apparent excessive consumption of alcohol in the country. "We recognise the importance of a balanced approach to alcohol policy where we support the right of our adult citizens to purchase and consume alcohol whilst at the same time protecting vulnerable members of the community from alcohol-related harm," she said.

Masebo said the Ministry of Health had been aware of the negative effects of the lack of alcohol regulation which have often led to unrestricted access and excessive consumption. She said the misuse of alcohol had also resulted into various social, economic and behavioural consequences including sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.

Referring to a recent situation analysis the ministry did on STDs, Masebo said all findings pointed to alcohol and drug abuse which were often reported to have been taken before sexual encounters.

"Alcohol consumption further suppresses the immune system of people living with HIV and AIDS and impacts negatively on anti-retroviral treatment adherence which may lead to the emergence of drug resistant strains of HIV," she said.

"We are, therefore, justified to state that alcohol and other drugs are a major factor in influencing behaviour such as commercial, indiscriminate and casual sex that are likely to expose people to STDs and HIV."

Masebo said the country currently had minimal facilities for the treatment of alcohol-related problems at Chainama Hills Hospital.

She said it was even worse not to have a national programme in the prevention and rehabilitation of alcohol abuse and substance disorders. Among the illustrative policy measures that Masebo suggested are the incorporation of alcohol related issues into national health policies including HIV policies, ensuring that alcohol related issues are part of anti-retroviral therapy screening and counselling and ensuring investment into alcohol treatment programmes.

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