Assessing progress toward the World Health Organization’s Global action plan alcohol reduction target in Sub-Saharan Africa 2010–2019

Datos Bibliográficos

ID14906554
AutoresRobyn Burton (0000-0003-1684-5238, University of Stirling, autor de correspondencia), Nadine Harker (0000-0003-0850-541X, South African Medical Research Council), Benjamin Kaneka (University of Malawi), Frank Kyei-Arthur (0000-0001-9794-8524, University of Environment and Sustainable Development), Gemma Mitchell (0000-0002-6775-9113, University of Stirling), Ogochukwu W Odeigah (0000-0002-3897-9635), Charles Parry (0000-0001-9787-2785, South African Medical Research Council), Marieke Theron (0000-0002-6685-7803, South African Medical Research Council), Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye (0000-0001-7085-8780, Makerere University)
Año2026
Volumen152
Páginas105257
Fecha de publicación2026-06-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Journal of Drug Policy (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0955-3959 • E-ISSN: 1873-4758
EditorialElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.drugpo.2026.105257
PMID41911642
OpenAlexW7142700671
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas28

The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases calls for a 10% relative reduction in the harmful use of alcohol by 2025. We assessed progress across 45 sub-Saharan African countries between 2010 and 2019 using WHO data on alcohol per capita consumption (APC) and heavy episodic drinking (HED). Trends were analysed for both the total population and past-year drinkers, using population-weighted averages and non-parametric methods. Regionally, both total APC (+6.6%) and HED per capita (+4.0%) increased slightly between 2010 and 2019. Among drinkers, APC also rose (+4.9%), while HED prevalence remained stable at around 51%. Central Africa was the only subregion to show meaningful declines in both APC and HED per-capita, although it continued to report the highest levels of HED per capita (around 30%). One-third of countries met or exceeded the 10% reduction target in APC per-drinker, while 44% saw increases. Sub-Saharan Africa is not on track to have met the alcohol reduction target, but trends vary markedly by country, with some signs of progress in Central Africa. Harmful drinking remains widespread and unevenly distributed, underscoring the need for stronger, context-specific alcohol policy and targeted interventions, particularly where consumption is rising or HED remains high

Action (physics · Action plan · Burden of disease · Global health · Occupational safety and health · Plan (archaeology · Poison control · Reduction (mathematics · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Health Policy Implementation Science · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes