Alcohol policy alliance formed in West Africa

“WAAPA is a coalition of civil society organizations and professionals with the goal of advocating, developing, implementing, enforcing and evaluating scientific based alcohol policies, monitor and share information on alcohol among members, sub-regional collaborators and international partners”, says Issah Ali (picture right). From his base in the office of the VALD – The Vision for Alternative Development – in Accra , Ghana, Issah Ali is working as head of the Secretariat of WAAPA.

The countries represented in WAAPA from the start are The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana. WAAPA has sought affiliation to the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA), collaborating with the two other African regional alliances in Southern Africa and Eastern Africa.

Dr. Umenze Franklin Chukwuma from Nigeria has been elected the first chairperson of WAAPA with Mr Maguette Thiandoume from Senegal at his side as vice chairperson and Mr Bio-Jeneh Jalloh from Sierra Leone as the Treasurer. Each member country has a member in the interim board.

WAAPA has defined the following as it objectives:

1. To promote and facilitate information sharing on alcohol and alcohol related issues;
2. To initiate, facilitate and conduct research on alcohol prevention, policies and programmes;
3. To strengthen the capacities of civil society organizations and development professionals involved in alcohol policies and programmes;
4. To encourage, support and strengthen partnerships between member organisations and governments on the implementation of alcohol policies and programmes;
5. To promote and advocate for national, regional and continental policies, programmes and regulatory frameworks on alcohol and alcohol related issues and;
6. To mobilize and facilitate access to financial, human and technical assistance and resources required for the development, implementation and evaluation of alcohol policies and programmes.

The web site of The Western African Alcohol Policy Alliance.