24 October 2019 GAPA issued a position paper on the implementation of WHO’s global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol during the first decade since its endorsement, and the way forward. In this paper the GAPA highlights important elements for consideration and encourages its own network and the wider the global health community to take part in a web-based consultation conducted by the World Health Organization.

The World Health Assembly in May 2019  requested the WHO Director-General “to report to the Seventy-third World Health Assembly in 2020, through the Executive Board, on the implementation of WHO’s global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol during the first decade since its endorsement, and the way forward”.  Following consultations WHO Member States, civil society and other so called “non-state actors” are invited to answer questions about the most important achievements and setbacks during the last ten years and about priority areas for future actions.

As part of the consultation process WHO has issued a discussion paper outlining the implementation of the global strategy and opportunities for the way forward. It outlines activities by WHO including different events, producing the Global status report on alcohol and health, development of the technical package SAFER together with partners and more.

Comments from the consultation will be taken into consideration in the process of developing a report to the WHO governing bodies, the WHO Executive Board in January and the World Health Assembly in May..

See more about the WHO web-based consultation, including the discussion paper and submission form, here.

Read the GAPA position paper here: