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.
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Jalloh et al. (2024) studied this question.
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