Health Minister Wilhelmina Jallah will lead an array of health partners, both local and international, including Plan Liberia, World Health Organization, Health Ministry itself, and other national health institutions in the country, to formally launch the Liberia Alcohol Policy Alliance (LAPA) today in Monrovia.
According to Roseline Thomas-Richards, National Chairperson of LAPA, both local and international health organizations and partners are expected to grace the ceremony today, which is intended to reduce the consumption of alcohol in the country.
She said, among many things, that when the policy is launched and implemented, it would help to reduce consumption of alcohol, mainly among young people, because many at times, alcohol is always linked to health problems or complications.
Thomas-Richards stated that the policy was formulated in 2019, following 3 years of advocacy, but now they deemed it necessary to have same formally launched for the betterment of the country and its population.
“These policies were formulated by civil society organizations in the country that saw the need to do so because alcohol consumption is causing problems for the country’s youthful population, and we must act now with meaningful polices for the future because these young people shall take over from us tomorrow,” she noted.
But what is alcohol policy about in Liberia? According to research, the harmful use of alcohol is responsible for over 3 million deaths worldwide, annually.
Alcohol is one of the preventable risk factors for cancer, cardiovascular disease, violence and injuries, and communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, among others.
Alcohol is also linked to the risk of developing health issues, such as mental and behavioral disorders, and alcohol dependence.
