In a three days resource persons workshop organised by FoRuT Sierra Leone from the 29th to 30th October, 2024 brought together it partners from the provinces and the capital city (Freetown).
World Health Organization, Ministry of Health, Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Alliance organisation, Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development were all in attendance to lend valuable insight.
"In this fight, we want to do good, impact lives that why we are here" FoRuT Executive Director. "The harmful effect of alcohol. It affect the family, community and the society not to mention the individual consuming it" Harold Thomas MOH emphasised.
"The journey to where we are now started in 2015 (9 years on)when SLAPA was formed to raise awareness on the harmful effect of alcohol and advocate on the production, marketing and consumption of alcohol" Alhassan Jalloh. He provided the historic and legal frame on alcohol citing the 1924 Liquor Ordinance, the wine Law of 1926 that exposes children to drinking alcohol at age 16, the setting up of the Alcohol Control Technical Working Group comprises of 25 MDAs including CSOs that work on Alcohol Control Policy 2022 was adopted by Cabinet and launched by the Minister of Health.
For the three (3) days lead resource persons from the Ministry of Health and all present deliberate healthy without favour on developing the material focusing on the key groups, their profiling, behavior to promote, behavior intend to change, objective and goal, key messages, tone of message, cultural factor, material to use and it channel, feedback mechanism and photo concept.
Using the above guide, material on banners, posters and jingles were developed for second opinion and testing
From all resource persons, it was clear that an alcohol control law is urgently require and the need to commission an investment case study on alcohol is NOW.
Network AID appreciate FoRuT for bringing us in as part of this wonderful process.