Government for alcohol policy adoption

Government has revealed that the National Alcohol Policy will soon be ready for adoption and implementation as most of the work in reviewing and scrutinising the draft has been done.

Ministry of Health spokesperson Henry Chimbali said this in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) that the final draft of the policy would be presented to a technical group on essential health package to conduct the final technical review.

“What remains now is for the draft to be presented to a technical group on essential health package to do the final technical review after which it will finally be reviewed by senior government officers and cabinet before its adoption and implementation,” said Chimbali.

The initiative was inspired by the gravity of harmful effects of extensive alcohol intake on both human health and the country’s socio-economic development.

In another interview, executive director Drug Fight Malawi, Nelson Baziwelo Zakeyu told that proposals outlined in the policy were reached after lengthy consultations with both the manufacturing companies and consumers countrywide.—Mana