By Kabuye Ronald
Alcohol has been cited out as one of the stumbling block to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) which must be attained by 2030.
Speaking during the Media engagement on the Acceleration of implementation of SDG’s organized by the United Nations Association of Uganda (UNAU), Dr. David Kalema, the World Health Organization (WHO) Consultant for SAFFER- Uganda Initiative Implementation which aims at reducing alcohol problems said that research has proven that the use of alcohol is likely to hinder directly the attainment of seven out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and also indirectly hinder the remaining 10 SDG’s.
Dr. Kalema among others said that alcohol directly hinders SDG’s like ending of poverty, sustainable cities, good livelihood, good health since alcohol is directly connected to 200 disease conditions, 50 diseases especially cancers and directly impacts on one’s mental health of people and the SDG of quality education since some teachers go to classes when they are drank while some students don’t attend classes due to being drank.
Dr. Kalema revealed that the harmful use of alcohol can be reduced or stopped by use of the evidence based, low cost and high impact intervention which include among others strengthening restriction against availability of alcohol, putting in place counter measures for drink-driving, promote treatment for people with drinking and drug use disorder, put in place a law prevailing over the alcohol companies in the way they promote alcohol since it’s the only brand being promoted 24 hours 7 days and high taxation of the alcohol industry since it will bring a lot of revenue to government but also restrict many people from buying alcohol and save the very resources to other developments and life giving initiatives.
In the same way, the Secretary General of the United Nation Association of Uganda (UNAU) Richard Baguma Tinkasimiire said that one of the greatest impact caused by alcohol to people is staggering since it’s evident from all studies that the abuse of alcohol causes staggering and failure to achievement of the development goals including SDG’ thus suggesting that alcohol must be regulated and controlled inorder to have the development challenges faced at household and grass roots communities levels are addressed.
Baguma also said that it’s important to engage, empower and involve the media in the sustainable development agenda so that they are able to accelerate and increase their efforts towards mobilizing the populations to contribute to their own development so that SDG’s are attained by 2030.
He added that empowering the media also helps them in holding accountable the duty bearer particularly government at all levels.
According to the 2022 Uganda Alcohol Report an estimate of 5,671,785- 12,666,986 people drink alcohol in the country and that a total of 110.6 million liters of alcohol is consumed annually in Uganda.
The report also indicated that pure Alcohol per capita consumption stands at: general population 9.4 liters, among population of 15+ years stands at 12.5l liters, among drinkers aged 15+years stands at 25.8 liters. The Alcohol consumption among those aged 15+ years: Used alcohol at least once in their life time- 52.6%. Current alcohol drinkers stand at 36.3%.
The informal alcohol estimated annual production stands at 67.7 million liters, the informal alcohol in the alcohol beverage market share stands at 52% with estimated value of is shs 2 trillion and estimated annual government tax revenue lost due to illicit alcohol sales-around stands at Shs 16 billion.
The report indicated that the prevalence of any alcohol use among University students’ stands at 31% and the ever used alcohol in secondary schools stands at 70%.
