Turning Alcohol Policy Into a Catalyst For Africa’s Future
Across Africa, people share the same dream: that every child can grow up healthy and safe, that women can live free from preventable violence and disease, and that thriving young people can propel the continent’s future.
But there is a serious obstacle in the way: alcohol harm. It is one of the leading drivers of avoidable disease and preventable death across African countries. Harm due to alcohol causes massive human suffering and community destruction.
The African Region faces the second highest burden of disease and injury caused by alcohol – nearly at the level of Europe, which has a much lower prevalence of alcohol abstainers. The alcohol burden falls heavily on African youth, undermining human capital, mental well-being, and development potential. The Region has the second highest rate of alcohol deaths globally, despite more than 70% of the population living free from alcohol consumption (29.2% are current alcohol consumers). Alarmingly, from 2010 to 2019, alcohol use disorders increased by 8.8% in the African Region – one of only three WHO regions with a rising trend.
Alcohol fuels cancers, heart disease, injuries, mental ill-health, and causes serious social harm. It contributes to gender-based violence, drains health systems, and undermines economic development. Despite lower average alcohol use compared to other regions, Africa suffers one of the highest rates of alcohol-attributable deaths in the world. This is a profound injustice.
The reason is clear: the products and practices of the alcohol industry. Alcohol corporations push ultra-cheap alcohol through sachets, minipacks, and extra large bottles; they saturate communities with aggressive marketing targeting children, youth, and women; and alcohol corporations relentlessly interfere in public health oriented alcohol policy initiatives to delay or derail lifesaving alcohol policy solutions. The result is an environment where profits come before people – and communities pay the price.
The good news is that it does not have to be this way. The solutions are already here. Evidence-based alcohol policies work. The second good news is that African people support alcohol policy action by governments. By raising taxes on alcohol, governments can prevent harm, reduce costs, and generate vital revenue for universal health coverage, education, and development. When combined with alcohol advertising bans, common sense limits on availability, measures to prevent alcohol impaired driving, and expansion of treatment services, alcohol policy becomes a powerful catalyst for health and development.
Countries across Africa are showing the way. Kenya has adopted a groundbreaking national policy. South Africa is preparing alcohol tax reforms. Ghana has raised alcohol taxes and defended alcohol marketing limits. Namibia is planning an alcohol tax increase to protect youth. Nigeria’s public is demanding a national alcohol policy. These are initiatives that are part of an accelerating continental shift.
So, now is the moment to step up alcohol policy action. By embracing alcohol policy, African countries can protect the health and rights of women and children, strengthen health systems, and secure domestic resources for development. Alcohol taxation alone is one of the most effective tools to transition from aid dependency to self-reliance. With leadership, courage, and collaboration, African countries can unlock the potential of alcohol policy as driver of progress.
The vision is within reach: thriving youth, healthier people, resilient communities, fairer societies, and a prosperous Africa where human potential is protected and nurtured. Alcohol policy is a development catalyst. Now is the time to make it the priority it deserves to be.
The Key Problem: Alcohol As Obstacle to Health and Development
Leading risk factor for African youth: The alcohol burden falls heavily on African children and youth, undermining human capital, mental well-being, and development potential.
- People aged 25–29 years saw the greatest proportional alcohol burden (10.8% of all deaths) in Africa, according to WHO.
Growing risk factor for cancer – especially affecting women: The Global Burden of Disease study data shows that Africa is facing a rising cancer burden due to alcohol.
- Between 2011 and 2021, cancer due to alcohol has increased by 8.5%.
- Among women, cancer due to alcohol has risen by 28% between 2008 and 2021.
Africa’s heavy alcohol burden despite lower population-level alcohol consumption: The African Region has the second highest age-standardised burden of disease and injury in the world – nearly at the level of Europe.
- This disease and injury burden caused by alcohol is partly due to tuberculosis, digestive diseases and unintentional injuries caused by alcohol.
But Africa has a much higher prevalence of alcohol abstainers.
- Alcohol intake among current alcohol consumers is highest among African countries compared to other parts of the world.
The African Region has the second highest rate of alcohol-attributable deaths globally – 52.2 per 100,000 people, despite low average alcohol consumption and despite more than 70% of the population living free from alcohol (29.2% are current alcohol consumers). This is a justice and equity issue.
Alarmingly, from 2010 to 2019, alcohol use disorders increased by 8.8% in the African Region – one of only three WHO regions with a rising trend.
- The African Region has the highest prevalence of AUDs among males (13.5% of males 15+) in the world.
Why the Problem Persists: Products and Practices of the Alcohol Industry
- Ultra‑cheap products and saturation: The alcohol industry deploys sachet alcohol, multi-pack formats, large alcohol bottles, and aggressive discounting as well extreme price promotions. In this way, they push dangerously cheap alcohol into African communities and make alcohol products ubiquitous – especially in vulnerable communities.
- Targeting children, youth, and women: Aggressive marketing and brand extensions (including alibi marketing) normalise alcohol use and recruit new consumers in African countries.
- Relentless political interference: Coordinated lobbying seeks to block, dilute, delay, or derail alcohol taxation, availability limits, alcohol advertising bans, and other public health initiatives – often with the deployment of misleading, false, or deceptive claims.
- 62% of countries in the African region report alcohol industry interference.
- Only 39% of countries in the WHO African region have a written national alcohol policy.
Making Alcohol Policy a Catalyst for Health and Development in Africa
Communities everywhere – parents, teachers, health workers, local leaders and civil society – are calling on their governments ot make alcohol policy the priority it should be.
The public wants action: New surveys show people across Africa clearly desire alcohol policy action, particularly to prevent and reduce the social harms due to alcohol.
And governments from Kenya to South Africa, Ghana to Namibia, Nigeria to Uganda are starting to take bold steps. The momentum is building.
Turning Potential Into Progress: Movendi Calls for Bold Alcohol Policy at WHO AFRO RCM75
At the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Lusaka, Movendi International is highlighting the urgent need for bold alcohol policy action. Across the continent, alcohol harm is blocking progress on health, women’s rights, and sustainable development – but evidence-based solutions are within reach.
By scaling up alcohol taxation and the full SAFER package, African countries can turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities for healthier people, sustainable health systems, and fairer societies.
Solutions that work (and pay for themselves)
a) Prioritize SAFER across health & development
- Place common sense limits on alcohol availability, adopt and enforce alcohol advertising bans, improve countermeasures to prevent alcohol impaired driving, scale up screening and brief interventions for mental health improvements, and raise alcohol excise taxes.
- Movendi recommends the full implementation of the SAFER alcohol policy blueprint across our agenda interventions below.
b) Scale alcohol taxation as the highest‑impact lever
- Cost‑effectiveness and development impact: Alcohol taxation is among the 12 most efficient policies to eradicate poverty and promote development, returning up to $53 per $1 invested.
- Finance UHC and reduce aid dependency: WHO’s Director‑General highlights alcohol taxation as a key tool to strengthen health systems and transition from aid dependency.
- 3×35 Initiative momentum: WHO’s “3 by 35 Initiative” calls for raising the real prices of alcohol, tobacco, and sugary drinks by 50% by 2035 – preventing deaths, promoting health, and generating massive revenues. Alcohol taxation has the biggest health and revenue potential.
- Historic WHO finding to anchor the case: Raising alcohol excise taxes to reach 40% of the retail price in 12 low-income countries would result in:
- A reduction in alcohol consumption of more than 10%;
- Government tax revenues more than tripling; and
- The additional revenues equating to approximately 38% of the total government health expenditure.
c) Countries in the African region are already moving – they need support
- South Africa: Plans and analysis confirm alcohol tax increases work; the country is discussing proposals for 2025 to raise excise across categories.
- Kenya: Recently adopted a groundbreaking National Alcohol Policy – overcoming alcohol industry interference – with measures to protect youth, improve prevention, and promote national development.
- Uganda: Is implementing the SAFER package as only country in the African region, so far.
- Ghana: Civil society is defending impactful excise reforms, calling for hybrid systems and indexing to inflation.
- Namibia: Planning alcohol and tobacco tax increases to promote health and protect youth.
- Nigeria: Public pressure is rising for a national alcohol policy as sachets return.
Mainstreaming Alcohol Policy Considerations Across RC75 Agenda Items
At the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, Movendi International is making the case that alcohol policy is not a side issue, but a cross-cutting catalyst for progress. From universal health coverage and mental health, to women’s and children’s wellbeing and community engagement, alcohol harm is a barrier – and alcohol policy solutions are accelerators for real and lasting progress.
That is why Movendi is calling for alcohol policy considerations to be fully integrated into every relevant agenda item, ensuring that governments and WHO AFRO unlock the full potential of alcohol policy for healthier people, stronger systems, and fairer societies.
Even though alcohol policy is not directly on the agenda, Movendi advocacy seeks to mainstream alcohol policy considerations into five agenda items:
- Agenda item 6 – Annual report of the Regional Director,
- Agenda item 8 – Accelerating progress in the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents
- Agenda item 16.5 – Progress report on the Framework to strengthen the implementation of the comprehensive mental health action plan 2013–2030
- Agenda item 16.7 – Progress report on the Framework for health systems development towards universal health coverage in the context of the SDGs
- Agenda item 16.13 – Progress report on the Regional strategy for community engagement, 2023–2030
Agenda item 6 – Annual report of the Regional Director (AFR/RC75/3)
Key message: Commend the explicit recognition of alcohol policy under SAFER, applaud countries acting, and urge AFRO to deepen technical support – especially taxation and policy coherence with UHC, mental health, road safety, and violence against women and girls agendas.
Our constructive proposals:
- AFRO to report in 2026 on country progress implementing the global alcohol action plan and SAFER, with a dedicated section on tax reforms (design, enforcement, inflation indexing).
- AFRO to launch a Regional Alcohol Taxation Accelerator aligned with the 3×35 Initiative to build capacity on design, administration, and anti‑illicit trade measures.
Agenda item 8 – Women, children & adolescents’ health (AFR/RC75/5)
Key message: Alcohol fuels maternal mortality risk, gender-based violence, child neglect, injury, mental ill‑health; integrate alcohol policy in Primary Health Care and Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health strategies.
Our constructive proposals:
- Add alcohol policy indicators (SAFER) to Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health monitoring frameworks;
- Protect children via making alcohol less affordable through raising taxes, alcohol advertising bans, outlawing of alcohol sales‑near‑schools, and community prevention roll‑outs.
Agenda item 16.5 – Mental health action plan progress (AFR/RC75/INF.DOC/5)
Key message: The African region’s 52.2 deaths per 100.000 and rising Alcohol Use Disorder (+8.8%) show alcohol is a major mental health concern; integrate SAFER (including screening, brief intervention, treatment) as part of mental health system strengthening.
Our constructive proposals:
- Include the alcohol policy quick buys in mental health investment plans;
- Resource youth‑focused prevention and early intervention.
Agenda item 16.7 – UHC/ health systems and financing (AFR/RC75/INF.DOC/7)
Key message: Alcohol policy – especially taxation – is smart financing for UHC: it reduces healthcare system costs and burden, raises domestic revenue, and narrows inequities.
Our constructive proposals:
- Ministries of Finance and Health should collaborate to introduce and increase specific or hybrid excise taxes on alcohol, indexed to inflation;
- Earmark a share of revenue from alcohol taxes for PHC, mental health services, and health promotion.
- AFRO to provide country toolkits (design, enforcement, traceability).
Agenda item 16.13 – Community engagement strategy (AFR/RC75/INF.DOC/13)
Key message: Community empowerment is central to alcohol prevention, treatment access, and resisting industry interference; Movendi members across AFR already deliver.
Our constructive proposals:
- Fund community‑led prevention and recovery initiatives;
- Institutionalise social participation in alcohol policy design and monitoring.