1 OCTOBER 2019

PHRC representative attends international conference in Prague

A regional conference on the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol and WHO European Action Plan to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol 2012–2020 was held in Prague, the Czech Republic on September 30-October 1, 2019. Sabina Babazade, Head of Projects Coordination Department of PHRC attended the conference.

The main purpose of the conference was to provide a comprehensive overview of the successes achieved over the past decade after the approval of the WHO Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol and of the challenges and difficulties in implementing the strategy, as well as to reduce the use of alcohol at the country level by developing new measures and recommendations.

Representatives of 35 WHO member countries - Azerbaijan, Italy, Austria, Romania, Croatia, Estonia, Norway, Uzbekistan, Belarus - participated in the conference held with the support of the Czech Ministry of Health. During the consultation, results of the monitoring of alcohol consumption and health effects was reviewed in accordance with the Global Strategy system to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, discussions were held on the first draft roadmap with a view to improving the effectiveness of implementation of the WHO European Action Plan to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol 2012–2020.

Discussing the current situation in the countries, the representatives stressed importance of more extensive measures and working together to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. The delegates informed the participants about the work done and experience gained in their countries.

On the last day of the conference, group discussions were held between representatives of the countries and views on future plans were heard.

You can see the photos from the event here.