Alcohol Prevention Policy Strategies and Recommendations by NGOs : Findings from A Survey of 55 NGOs in Eastern Africa

Transcription

1 Alcohol Prevention Policy Strategies and Recommendations by NGOs : Findings from A Survey of 55 NGOs in Eastern Africa Rogers Kasirye, MA Chief Executive Officer, Uganda Youth Development Link Dr. Monica Swahn, MPH PhD Professor of Epidemiology, Georgia State University Lynette A. Ametewee, MA LLM MBA PhD Student (Epidemiology), Georgia State University

2 Funding Acknowledgment Research reported in this presentation was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R21AA22065 (to Dr. Swahn). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Grant is funded as the development of a structural intervention to delay underage alcohol use and prevent alcohol-related HIV transmissions among youth in the slums of Kampala. The authors/presenters have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

3 Where is Eastern Africa?

4 Alcohol Misuse in Eastern Africa High prevalence of alcohol misuse Culture intertwined with alcohol use Limited and varying alcohol policies Lack and varying alcohol policy enforcement Weak and fragmented health infrastructure High NGO involvement in prevention Few studies on NGO program integration

5 Burden of Alcohol in Eastern Africa

6 Purpose of the Study As part of this NIH funded project, one specific goal was to survey NGOs who provide leadership and services related to alcohol and drug use and other health risks like HIV in Eastern Africa. We asked for their input in a survey format to determine NGO leaders perceptions and opinions on alcohol marketing, prevention strategies and resources required to address health problems. For the purposes of this presentation, we are highlighting key results with respect to policy recommendations and strategies for reducing underage drinking, delaying alcohol use and alcohol-related HIV transmissions.

7 Methods A cross-sectional survey, developed by Dr. Swahn in collaboration with UYDEL staff, was conducted in September/October of 2014 NGOs who participated in various national and regional alcohol policy alliances as well as broader prevention coalitions were invited (N=150) via to take an online survey through the Qualtrics platform. Participants from 7 countries (N=55; participation rate 36.6%) received a $10 gift card in form of airtime minutes for their mobile phones.

8 RESULTS

9 Alcohol-Related Issues Reported by NGOs % (Out of 55 respondents) Alcohol use is a problem in communities 95 Knowledge of laws that regulate either production or drinking of alcohol 91 NGOs that prioritise prevention outreach strategies 90 No strong enforcement of the minimum legal drinking age 90 NGOs that prioritise development of strategies for alcohol, HIV risk, violence and injuries 83

10

11

12

13 Discussion and Conclusions NGOs in Eastern Africa have important insight about needed alcohol prevention strategies and specific needs for their communities Capacity to generate information based on empirical data is limited Fragmented support and infrastructure serve as key barriers for implementation of more strict alcohol policies and enforcement NGOs need additional support and resources to implement alcohol prevention strategies in their communities Future research should explore how to strengthen capacity of NGOs to deliver evidence-based interventions

14 Limitations The study is based on self-reported data of NGOs in Eastern Africa working in alcohol related NGOs. Therefore, the findings may not be generalizable to other settings The sample size was small, and participation rate was also low The findings are based on cross-sectional analysis, and temporal relationships cannot be determined nor can causality be inferred

15 Thank You & Contact Information Rogers Kasirye Monica Swahn