This article was published as part of a special issue in the International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research on “Alcohol Prevention Research and Policy Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.” FORUT and Movendi supported the publication of articles by authors from low- and middle-income countries.
In this article, Jalloh and colleagues shared how a national civil society coalition became a key actor and partner of the Ministry of Health in Sierra Leone in developing the country’s first national alcohol policy. It tells the story of how the Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Alliance, FoRUT, the Ministry of Health and the WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone worked together and overcame obstacles to alcohol policy in Sierra Leone.
Jalloh and colleagues highlighted the importance of advocating for non-communicable diseases to be prioritized and having committed technical leadership on alcohol policy at the Ministry of Health. They also emphasized how an inclusive participatory process coupled with demonstrating expertise and competence among civil society advocates led to the integration of alcohol-related measures into Sierra Leone’s national non-communicable diseases policy documents. They also noted how training and building capacity of civil society organizations under the national alcohol policy alliance led to more effective participation in advocacy and in the policy process. Jalloh and colleagues also underscored the value of integrating the global alcohol control agenda and avoiding conflicts of interest from the alcohol industry to alcohol policy development. Despite obstacles, the case of the alcohol policy development in Sierra Leone offers lessons for civil society advocacy for alcohol policy.
Authors: Boi-Jeneh Jalloh, Habib Taigore Kamara, Alhassan Jalloh and Issah Ali
Publisher: International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research
Year of Publication: 2024
Recommended citation: Jalloh, Boi-J., Kamara, H. T., Jalloh, A., & Ali, I. (2024). Alcohol policy development in Sierra Leone: An assessment of the role of civil society. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, 12(S1), S11–S17.
Read full article: https://doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.429