WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR
THE W.ESTERN PACIFIC
BUREAU R~GIONAL DU PACIFIQUE OCCIDENTAL
REGIONAL COMMITTEE Thirty-third session Manila 20-24 September 1982 Supplementary agenda item 2
WPR/RC33/19 26 August 1982 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS (Item proposed and document prepared by the Government of New Zealand)
As a result of the technical discussions that occurred during the current Thirty-fifth World Health Assembly relating to the above theme some twenty countries considered that some more appropriate action might be recommended to give expression to the unanimous opinions expressed at this technical discussion session. In effect the group recommended that programmes for prevention and control of alcohol and drug abuse should be given special priority in the seventh general programme of work and that budgetary provision should be made for this project. A proposal, subsequently adopted by committee A, requested that the significance of alcohol-related problems be borne in mind by the Executive Board and its Programme Committee in their deliberations on the general programme of work and the programme budget. It was also recommended that a text (A35/Technical Discussionsj7) summarizing the comments and recommendations of this group be circulated to regional committees for their consideration and possible endorsement as a basis for a draft resolution for submission to the next World Health Assembly.
In view of resolution WHA29.48A regarding the increased role of regional committees in the shaping of global policy it is a logical sequence that action arising from technical discussions should be referred back to regional committ·~es for consideration and recommendation regarding the submission to the next World Health Assembly (possibly through the Executive Board) for final debate and decision. The relevance of the submitted draft resolution (see copy attached) is based on the need for urgent action in support of the former World Health Assembly resolution (WHA32.20) recognizing that problems related to alcohol and particularly to excessive consumption rank among the world's major health problems. RECOMMENDATION That the Regional Committee of the Western Pacific (a) consider the text as set out in the technical discussion information document relating to alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems; (b) endorse the text as a basis for a draft resolution to be submitted to the Executive Board in January 1983 for debate and subsequent submission to the next World Health Assembly.
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WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE
A35/Technical Discussions/? 13 May 1982
THIRTY-FIFTH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY Technical Discussions
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES
FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS Stimulated by the Technical Discussions and convinced of the importance of the alcoholrelated problems and of the urgency of action, a number of delegations* had further dis cuss ions about this matter and agreed on the following text which might form the format of a future resolution: "Recalling previous resolutions, particularly WHA32.40, concerning the development of WHO's programme on alcohol-related problems; Reiterating its firm conviction that problems relating to alcohol consumption rank among the world's major public health concerns and constitute a serious hazard for human welfare, and that it is therefore necessary for the Member States and for WHO to intensify their efforts to reduce these problems; Seriously concerned by the worldwide trends in alcohol consumption and alcohol-r elated problems, and alarmed by the aggressive promotional drives for increasing use of .:llcohol , <1 lso 1n c ountries in which it was not previously widespread; Be lieving that present trends in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related probl ems are in compatible with the strategy of Health for All by the Year 2000 and henc e po li c ies t o r ed ti ce them must form an integral part of that strategy; Recognizing that an effective strategy to tackle the problem necessitates explicit and comprehensive national alcohol policies to reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems; Mindful that effective national alcohol policy requires a concerted effort consi sting of a wide v ariety of measures for prevention, appropriate services for management wi th emph asi s on the primary health care approach, and supporting research and evaluation; giving high priority to prevention through reducing availability of and demand for alcohol; 1 Noting with satisfaction that the recen t WHO Expert Committee report on problems r ela ted to alcohol consumption provides a thorough and authoritative summary of current knowl e dge app licable in this fie ld and contains a number of import ant recommendat i ons for WHO and th e ~fembe r Stat es ; Appreciating the work already carried out by WHO and recognizing the important contr ibut ion of the Thirty-fifth World Health Assembly's Technical Discussions on "Alcohol consumpt i on and alcohol -related problems" for further deve lopments; ember States to identify the actual and anticipa ted problems as soc iated with .1 lcohol URGE M 1. consumption; Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, German Democ ratic Republic, Hungary , I c eland, India, Ireland~Mexico, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Senega l, Swed n, Tunisia. '~Algeria,
1
WHO Technical Repor t Series, No. 650, 1980
A35/Technical Discussions/7 page 2 2. RECOMMEND to Member States
(1) to formulate an explicit and comprehensive national alcohol policy with prevention as a priority, within the framework of the strategy of health for all;
(2) to develop 1aechanisms to coordinate programmes and activities for reducing alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems on a planned, continuous and long-term basis; (3) to give serious consideration in their nationfl alcohol policy to all measures suggested by the WHO Expert Committee in its recent report on problems related to alcohol consumption;
(4) to implement the policy adopted and to evaluate its effectiveness with a view to further policy development; 3. REQUEST the Executive Board to monitor and evaluate the development of WHO's alcohol programme; 4. REQUEST the Director-General
(1) to continue, and intensify, WHO's programme on alcohol problems as an integral part of the strategy for health for all through a primary health care approach, as envisaged in the Seventh General Programme of Work, and as stated in resolution WHA32.40
a. to strengthen further WHO's capacity to respond to requests from governments of Member States to support their efforts in dealing with alcohol problems; b. to promote further joint consideratfon by the organizations of the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations of the problems associated with alcohol and their alleviation; and to seek additional funds from relevant United Nations bodies as well as governmental and non-governmental sources; ( 2) to ensure that any necessary organizational, staffing and budgetary implications for the organization are taken into account in preparation of the programme budget for 1984-85; and to ensure adequate financing from the regular budget; (3) to use all possible mechanisms for drawing attention and publicity to alcohol consumption as a health problem, i.a. byselecting this topic as a theme for a future World Health Day; (4) to report on the progress made to the Thirty-seventh World Health Assembly.
1
W".O Technical Report Series, No. 650, 1980.