The Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Alliance SLAPA has ended its 2022 AGM . Every year, SLAPA hold its Annual General Meeting to discuss the strengths, weaknesses, treats and opportunities that face the alliance.
Since its establishment in 2015, SLAPA has actively worked with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation at national and district levels , plus other development partners for reducing harm on alcohol .

The drive is being carried out through advocacy and mobilization for the development of the National Alcohol Policy.
This is in consistent with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful use of Alcohol 2010 and the Global Alcohol Action Pan (2022-2030) that the World Health Assembly adopted in May 2022.

The Alliance was established in 12 districts of Sierra Leone with functional district chapters and national secretariat that is hosted by Foundation for Rural and Urban Transformation (FoRUT).

This year’s AGM held in Makeni, on Wednesday 21st September 2022 had its activities divided into morning session that focused on national, regional and international agendas in reducing harm on alcohol,
The afternoon session was reserved to discuss effective governance and operational issues as a national alliance.
Officials from the Bombali District Council, Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs and the Ministry of Youth Affairs participated in the AGM.

Speaking on the significance of the draft National Alcohol Policy that awaits cabinet / ministerial adoption, Mr. Joseph K. Turay , the Acting Deputy Director, Ministry of Social Welfare, Bombali District threw light on the need for a potent regulatory framework in tackling alcohol harm in Sierra Leone.

He said most of the road traffic crashes, violence are not unconnected to alcohol misuse.
“We cannot wait for the adoption of the alcohol policy before mounting massive sensitization