By Staff Writer
Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo says the country has set up mini-laboratories at entry border points to ensure that the alcohol being imported into the country conforms to technical specifications.
Ms Masebo made the remarks during the Framework for Implementing the Global Alcohol Action Plan, 2023-2030 at the 73rd Session of the World Health Organization Committee for Africa.
The Minister said Local Authorities have renewed their efforts to ensure that laws that guide the sale of alcohol are properly enforced, including enforcing the ban of sale of alcohol in undesignated places.
“I want to state that several reports indicate that Zambia is one of the countries in the region that suffers from harmful use of alcohol. This problem is especially worrying as it mostly affects people in their most productive years, including adolescents, women, and young people,” the Minister said.
She said the country was making progress in curbing the scourge on the use of harmful alcohol.
“For example, in line with the World Health Organization 2010 Strategy on the reduction of the harmful use of alcohol, Zambia has put in place a National Alcohol Policy and its Implementation Plan with an established Multi-Sectoral Coordination Committee. Some of the efforts include enforcing the following statutes and/or legal instruments, enforcing the ban on the manufacturing and sale of easily accessible strong liquor sachets locally known as tujilijili.”
The Minister also said that her Ministry had been working with various Non-Governmental Agencies in creating awareness around the dangers of the harmful use of alcohol and providing detox services to those who have succumbed to the vice.
She, however, said there was inadequate government – run rehabilitation services and generally limited social support to those fighting alcohol as well as the inability to conduct regular random inspections and testing of alcohol outlets.
Ms Masebo stated that Zambia endorsed the adoption of the new Framework in the WHO Africa Region and proposed the inclusion of protection of children, adolescents and young people from the effects of harmful use of alcohol as they are being targeted by the industry through advertising, cross border collaboration to enhance uniformity of purpose and issues of dealing with illicit alcohol production for the Secretariat’s consideration.
She added that Zambia remained committed to fighting the scourge of harmful use of alcohol and was ready to partner with the Secretariat and other stakeholders, including the Industry which should be part of the solutions.
This is contained in a statement issued by Julia Malunga First Secretary Press Zambia High Commission
Gaborone, Botswana.
