India consultation held

Consultation on the formation of an Indian Alcohol Policy Alliance, Delhi, 20–21 March 2004

Following on from exploratory talks during 2003 with alcohol specialists in several major Indian cities, a consultation meeting was convened in New Delhi, from 20 to 21 March 2004, with a view to the formation of an Indian Alcohol Policy Alliance (IAPA)

The meeting, was a collaboration between GAPA, World Health Organisation (WHO) India Office, WHO SEARO region and the Norwegian Development Agency FORUT.

Discussions at the meeting focused on a number of topics including:

• Nature and extent of alcohol problems in India
• Advocacy
• The Alcohol Policy Challenge for India
• The impact of the Indian Alcohol Market
• General discussion on the formation of an alcohol policy alliance in India.

The meeting resulted in the formation of an Indian Alcohol Policy Alliance under the chairmanship of Dr Arul Raj, Vice President of the Commonwealth Medical Association and former National President of the Indian Medical Association. The secretary will be Mrs Shanti Ranganathan, President, FINGODAP, TTK Hospital in Chennai.

The formal launch of the organisation will take place in 2005, together with the publication of its own website.