Day 1 of the 2022 Uganda Alcohol Policy Conference started bright and early for us in Kampala. 

 

UAPC 2022’s focus was to build bridges between research/evidence and alcohol control policy formulation and implementation. The 1st conference held in November 2018 was dedicated to enhancing collaboration to overcome alcohol harm, while the second in 2020 focused on community participation in the eradication of alcohol harm. UAPC 2022 went a step higher by supporting the momentum for the current alcohol legislative initiatives in Uganda.

 

Participation at the conference was by both physical and virtual means.

 

We had 3 plenary sessions, with plenary session 1 looking at "Perspectives and Drivers of Alcohol Harm". 

 

We got familiar with "The global alcohol action plan and need for action" by Ms. Kristina Sperkova, the President of Movendi International in Sweden. 

An overview of alcohol use and abuse in the African region was also shared with us by Dr. Florence Baingana, based at the World Health Organisation. 

The "economic and social costs of alcohol in East Africa" was shared with us by Mr. Didas Balimanya, the Programs Officer at IOGT-NTO Movement in Tanzania. 

Rodney Okwasiimire from the Department of Biochemistry and Sports Science at the College of Natural Sciences at Makerere University shared with us the "Genetics of alcohol metabolism in Uganda: Distribution of polymorphisms in ADH1B, ADH1C and ALDH2 in the Uganda population". 

Professor Catherine Abbo based at Mulago National Referral Hospital shared with us on "The burden of management of co-occuring alcohol use disorder and mental disorders among young people in low and middle-income countries". 

 

We also had our first panel discussion, running on the theme of "From global to local context on alcohol burden in Uganda", which was moderated by Mr. Solomon Sserwanja. 

The panelists on the first discussion were Dr. Hafsa Lukwata from the Ministry of Health, Professor Nazarius Tumwesigye, Professor Catherine Abbo, Rodney Okwasiimire and Mr. Isharaza Mwebaza from APRAU (Addiction, Prevention and Rehabilitation Association of Uganda). 

 

After the tea break, we had plenary session 2 that looked at the official opening of the conference and launch of the 2022 Uganda Alcohol Report. 

Our Chairperson, Ms. Namukasa Juliet led us through the National Anthem and opening remarks.

Dr. David Kalema shared the highlights of the Uganda Alcohol Status Report 2022 with the rest of the congregation, followed by remarks from Dr. Henry Mwebesa (Director General) at the Ministry of Health. We also got remarks from Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, the WHO Uganda Country Representative and finally, remarks from Honourable Margaret Muhanga, the State Minister for Primary Healthcare to officially open the Conference. 

The United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on NCD's award to Uganda was also handed over during this plenary session. 

 

In the last plenary for the day, it was all focused on young people. 

We had testimonies of recovery from Mr. Gibson Kibuuka from Hope and Beyond Uganda as well as Abubaker Karim from Makerere University School of Business Studies. 

We also heard from Mr. George Muteekanga from the Ministry of Education on "Alcohol in adolescents: Extent of use and harm in secondary schools".

 

There were also concurrent sessions that were running in 3 tracks. 

Track 1 was moderated by Nsanga Francis on the "causes and patterns of alcohol (mis)use".

(i) On the thematic area to do with causes of alcohol use disorders, Mr. Richard Baguma shared on the "promotion of alcohol use through digital media among youth in East Africa: trends and implications". 

(ii) Ms. Slyvia T. Nabirye shared on the "Perspectives of treatment service users at Hope and Beyond Rehabilitation Centre on causes of alcohol addiction". 

(iii) On the thematic area of alcohol use among special populations, Mr. Ivan Nabisingura shared on "Alcohol use disorder and mental health of people living with HIV/AIDS: A case study of Entebbe TASO centre, Wakiso district Uganda".

(iv) Mr. Alex Mulyowa presented "a cross-sectional study on alcohol use among adolescent boy and young men in Kampala, Uganda".

 

Track 2 was moderated by Ms. Assumpta Nabukenya on the "Impacts of and interventions to control harmful use of alcohol".

(i) On the thematic area to do with the impacts of and interventions against alcohol abuse, Dr. Frank Pio Kiyingi shared on "Substance abuse and criminal activities among adolescents in Uganda. A case of adolescents in greater Kampala metropolitan area". 

(ii) Mr. Zibiso Malejane shared a correlation between substance abuse, unemployment and homelessness in Botswana. 

(iii) In the thematic area of improving implementation infrastructure for alcohol prevention, Uzima Ministries shared a "case study on strengthening district mental health services in Kyenjojo district".

(iv) Mr. Chris Kwizera shared on a case study of the Uganda NCD Alliance on "building networks, coalitions and community, sub-national and national action for control of alcohol control and other NCD's risk factors".

 

Track 3 was moderated by Mr. Didas Balimanya on the "Cross-cultural perspectives and effective interventions". 

(i) In Room 3, the social-cultural and other creative interventions were addressed on. Ms. Juliet Namukasa shared on "Pentecostal churches in Uganda and their effort to fight alcohol abuse", under the thematic area of spiritual beliefs, religion and cultural interventions.

(ii) Mr. Aobakwe Bacos Malejane presented on "Using Ubuntu to deal with substance abuse among institutionalised youth". 

(iii) Mr. Enoch Kabuye presented on "advocating for mitigation of the consequences of alcohol abuse on learners", under the Creative interventions thematic area. 

(iv) Prof. Nazarius Mbona presented on "web-based intervention for alcohol and drug abuse". 

(v) Ms. Christine Beepath Namazzi presented on "Group Support Psychotherapy as an opportunity of alcohol and drug abuse prevention among young people". 

 

This conference was sponsored by the World Health Organization, IOGT-NTO movement and organized by us, in partnership with Ministry of Health and Makerere University School of Public Health.