Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022 2030

Every year, the harmful use of alcohol kills 2.5 million people, including 320,000 young people between 15 and 29 years of age. It is the eighth leading risk factor for deaths globally, and harmful use of alcohol was responsible for almost 4% of all deaths in the world, according to the estimates for 2004. In addition to the resolution, a global strategy developed by WHO in close collaboration with Member States provides a portfolio of policy options and interventions for implementation at the national level with the goal to reduce the harmful use of alcohol worldwide. Ten recommended target areas for policy options include health services' responses, community action, pricing policies and reducing the public health impact of illicit alcohol and informally produced alcohol. WHO was also requested to support countries in implementing the strategy and monitor progress at global, regional and national levels.

Regular physical activity is proven to help prevent and treat noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease stroke diabetes and breast and colon cancer. It also helps to prevent hypertension overweight and obesity and can improve mental health quality of life and well-being. In addition to the multiple health benefits of physical activity societies that are more active can generate additional returns on investment including a reduced use of fossil fuels cleaner air and less congested safer roads. These outcomes are interconnected with achieving the shared goals political priorities and ambition of the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. The new WHO global action plan to promote physical activity responds to the requests by countries for updated guidance and a framework of effective and feasible policy actions to increase physical activity at all levels. It also responds to requests for global leadership and stronger regional and national coordination and the need for a whole-of-society response to achieve a paradigm shift in both supporting and valuing all people being regularly active according to ability and across the life course. The action plan was developed through a worldwide consultation process involving governments and key stakeholders across multiple sectors including health sports transport urban design civil society academia and the private sector.

The Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders presents a comprehensive overview of alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harm and policy responses as well as treatment capacities for alcohol and drug use disorders worldwide. The report is based on data collected by WHO from Member States and organized in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals health target 3.5 which calls on countries to strengthen “the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol”. The chapter on alcohol and health continues the series of WHO global status reports on alcohol and health and presents the latest available data on the status of, and trends in, alcohol consumption, as well as estimates of the alcohol-attributable disease burden and descriptions of policy responses worldwide. On the basis of data collected from countries on the treatment of substance use disorders the report describes the status of key components of treatment responses to alcohol and drug use disorders and proposes a new service capacity index for these disorders as an additional contextual indicator for monitoring progress in this domain of SDG health target 3.5. The report concludes with broad directions for international action to accelerate progress towards achievement of SDG health target 3.5.

"Globalization has unleashed new health threats, connecting societies in shared vulnerability to common challenges, including infectious disease, non-communicable disease, environmental pollution, injuries, and inequitable poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the cataclysmic health threats of a rapidly globalizing world and the limitations of domestic law and policy in addressing economic, social, and political determinants of health. No country acting on its own can stem major health hazards that go well beyond national borders. Where national laws cannot reach threats beyond national borders, global law is necessary to promote health and justice. If globalization has presented global challenges to disease prevention and health promotion, global health law offers the promise of bridging national boundaries to promote health and reduce health inequities"--

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health conditions have a profound impact on societies, communities and individuals around the world. Their risk factors and determinants extend beyond the traditional health sector. Addressing this complex challenge necessitates interventions that reach beyond the boundaries of public health and requires a coherent, coordinated approach across all relevant governmental sectors. Understanding, documenting and sharing how governments implement multisectoral actions are essential to overcome these challenges and identify the capacity needs for coherent and sustainable responses to NCDs and mental health. In 2019, WHO Member States requested the Director-General to provide a consolidated report to the World Health Assembly analysing approaches to multisectoral action for NCD prevention and control, including addressing social, economic and environmental determinants of health. This compendium report is the Secretariat’s response to that request and features case studies from countries across WHO’s six regions.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) represent a range of physical, mental, and behavioral disabilities caused by alcohol use during pregnancy, or prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). FASDs are considered to be one of the leading causes of developmental disability, with an estimated 2-5% of children being born with FASD each year in the world. Despite its high prevalence, FASD is often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed, making intervention more challenging. A multidisciplinary team of providers who understand the diagnostic requirements is crucial for an accurate FASD diagnosis. This text provides a comprehensive, state-of-the art review of this field, and serves as a valuable resource for clinicians and researchers with an interest in FASD. The book provides a detailed overview for clinicians of various backgrounds on the diagnostic process, extensive mechanistic and embryologic data, neuropsychologic aspects of the condition, prevention and treatment approaches, and the ethical, legal, and policy perspectives that impact patients and families. The chapters are organized parallel to the journey of individuals who experience alcohol-related conditions, beginning with the prenatal period addressing epidemiology of alcohol exposure, prevention and interventions, continuing through the fetal experience with a focus on embryology. Challenges of children and their families are considered next including the diagnostic process and health effects. Finally, issues related to systems of care for individuals with FASD and the broader community are addressed. The global context of FASD is presented throughout the textbook. Written by experts in the field, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders provides a concise yet comprehensive summary of the current status of this issue that helps guide prevention efforts, the diagnostic process, school and community interventions, and global policy efforts.