Regional technical consultations on alcohol action plan 2022 – 2030

Regional technical consultations (virtual) with Member States on the Working document for development of an alcohol action plan

The WHO secretariat through the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use and in collaboration with WHO Regional Offices will organize a series of regional technical consultations (virtual) with Member States on the working document for development of the action plan (2022-2030) to effectively implement the global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol as a public health priority. 

Despite some positive global trends in the levels of alcohol consumption and alcohol-attributable disease burden, the overall burden of disease and injuries attributable to alcohol consumption remain unacceptably high.  Considerable challenges remain for the development and implementation of effective alcohol policies. On this basis, the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board, in its decision EB146(14) in February 2020, called for accelerated action to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, and requested  the WHO Director-General, inter alia, “to develop an action plan (2022-2030) to effectively implement the Global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol as a public health priority, in consultation with Member States and relevant stakeholders, for consideration by the 75th World Health Assembly through the 150th session of the WHO Executive Board in 2022”.

In accordance with the implementation plan for EB 146(14) decision  and following the technical expert meeting held in June 2020, the Secretariat has produced the working document for development of the above-mentioned action plan and organized a web-based consultation on the working document during the period 16 November 2020 – 13 December 2020.

The important stage of development of a draft action plan 2022-2030 comprises the regional technical consultations with Member States on the working document to take place in February-April 2021.

The main objective of the regional technical consultations is to discuss the working document and provide recommendations for developing the first draft of the action plan that can accelerate action to reduce the harmful use of alcohol in the WHO regions and worldwide.  It is expected that the outcomes of the regional technical consultations will reflect the regional needs and priorities for strengthening implementation of the Global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.

The consultations may in addition provide an opportunity to establish or strengthen the regional networks of WHO national counterparts for implementation of the global strategy and discuss related technical issues including the data available in the regions on alcohol and health.

The outcomes of the regional consultations will be instrumental for preparing briefings on the draft alcohol action plan at the Regional Committee meetings as envisaged in the above-mentioned implementation plan for EB 146(14) decision.

Preliminary timetable:

Consultation document:

Working document for development of an action plan to strengthen implementation of the Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol: