By Audrey Raymonda John

To emphasize the importance and use of alcohol in Sub- Sahara Africa, a group of Civil Society Organizations presented findings from their 2023 Alcohol Report in Ghana, West Africa.

Citizen Rights Network Sierra Leone, one of the leading civil society organizations in Sierra Leone, underscored 99.9% during the presentation.

The Executive Director of Citizens Rights Network Sierra Leone, Ibrahim Bai Koroma, addressed the conference with a report that outlined the role it played in the compilation of the surveying that they did. He described how in Sierra Leone, the majority of alcoholic companies are well monitored, making them stand out as some of the best, as compared to others, in Sub-Sahara Africa because the fact is that their products are monitored for best practice and that they are safe for consumption.

The agencies in the country with the responsibility to carry out unannounced spot checks and regular inspections have been proactive to ensure that the alcoholic beverages are safe not only for human consumption before reaching the market, but also to making certain that the market is sanitized and responsible to guard against under-age drinking and bingeing.

Mr. Bai Koroma further highlighted the fact that Sierra Leone has been known over the past decades for its exports of excellent, award-wining alcoholic beverages in Sub Sahara Africa. It recorded the highest volumes in exporting to countries in Africa and beyond.

He told other Civil Societies that the importance of this conference was to find solutions on how to raise the awareness of consumers about abuse and the dangers of alcohol dependency. That was why he would rather advocate for more work around sensitization than its condemnation.

He said, according to their surveys, they were able to identify one of the key things that are affecting consumers. He maintained that alcoholic beverages are not always to be mixed up together but 80% of consumers failed to realize that different contents of beverages exist.

He advised and addressed colleagues in the conference to look at the advice given. He said that mixing two different alcoholic beverages would also damage the body’s immune system. But if constantly taking a single brand, the damage that can be done is limited to nil. Koroma stated that it was better for them to start a massive media outreach campaign and community sensitization, as this may help them carry out their work effectively.

Bai Koroma said he is boastful to say Sierra Leone is among the 45 countries that are following the prescribed methods of alcohol policy in the world, and because of that, Sierra Leone has been recording low death rates.

However, he encouraged all his colleagues to take this all important massage to their various countries, as the right to life matters most.

He also stated that Sierra Leone is open up to other Civil Societies to do more research on Alcoholic, as it is better for us to deal with dependency and abuse than to ignore them.

Bai Koroma ended by thanking the representatives in the hall for giving them this year’s Alcoholic Beverages Report to submit and to allow them to participate.

He assured all his colleagues that when he returns, he would engage all the Alcoholic beverage companies in Sierra Leone to update them about their successes and challenges.