Establishment of a working group to draft the National Strategy for the Reduction of Harmful Use of Alcohol - WHO Compendium Report on Multisectoral Action

Harmful alcohol use is a major public health problem in Kenya. In 2015, the Ministry of Health, through the Alcohol Technical Working Group initiated the process of formulating a national strategy for reduction of harmful alcohol use. The process was guided by a multisectoral approach. This approach is aligned with the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the Kenya Mental Health Policy 2015–2030, and the Kenya Non-communicable Disease Strategy 2015–2020. Member of the working group were from the government (health and alcohol control), research institutions, academia, and civil society organizations. The working group held several multistakeholder meetings, which resulted in the development of a draft alcohol strategy. The working group faced several challenges including lack of alignment between government sectors, inadequate funding, and limited commitment to the process by members due to competing responsibilities. As a result, the working group was unable to finalize the alcohol strategy. Future efforts should ensure adequate funding for the process and capacity-building of members on multisectoral action.

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