IMANI director, Franklin Cudjoe met with Ghana’s Minister of Health at the United Nations Economic and Social Council Conference in Accra on e-Health held in Accra between June 10-June 11.

Franklin reminded the Minister about the alcohol policy and he said “Yes, it is very important eh?”. Franklin promised to follow up with a reminder to the Minister on an August 2009 deadline for governments to submit preliminary reports on efforts to draft policies on alcohol.

Franklin was speaking at the UN conference on Mobile Pedigree, the latest mobile-phone based drug authentication scheme partly invented by Bright Simons, Franklin’s assistant at IMANI and AfricanLiberty.org

IMANI director, Franklin Cudjoe, former deputy head of the FDB, Mr. Kwamina Van-Ess and Mr. Andrew Akolaa, Marketing Manager of Kasapreko distilleries formally presented the draft alcohol policy to Hon. Dr. Sipa-Adjah Yankey, Ghana’s new Health Minister. Minister promised to study the draft and said hopefully, there would be no need to re-invent the wheel.

Franklin later joined the Minister of health and his Ghanaian delegation at a luncheon on M-Health projects organized by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and the United States lobby agency, the Whitaker Group in Geneva, Switzerland.

Franklin mentioned the draft Alcohol Policy to Dr. Seth Opuni, the new CEO of Ghana’s Food and Drugs Board, who was hearing about the policy for the first time. Franklin attended the World Health Assembly and spoke on fighting counterfeit medicines.

A Workshop on Designing an Effective National Alcohol Policy for Ghana

IMANI Center for Policy and Education, a registered Ghanaian think-tank has been involved internationally in exchanging best practices on self-regulation of advertising and marketing of beverage alcohol. At the last regional workshop held in Cape Town from October 19-20, 2006, stakeholders (government, Industry and think–tanks) from across the world, resolved to:

• Encourage Government, Industry and Public Health Partnerships on alcohol policy development
• Encourage beverage alcohol companies to support Governments in the development of alcohol policies
• Set standards for alcohol production, distribution, retail, and consumption
• Encourage affordable alternatives to illicit alcohol and create a safe and responsible drinking culture
• Ensure effective enforcement of regulations and self-regulations.

In a little less than a year, many countries in Africa have moved on with a progressive national alcohol policy. Ghana is yet to make that important step. On Thursday, September 6 2007, from: 9:30am- 5:00pm At: Alisa Hotel, North Ridge Accra, stakeholders discussed proposed statutes on beverage alcohol marketing and advertising in Ghana.
Since it is critical that a national alcohol policy maintains a balance between alcohol consumption, Impact of local trade policies on the Industry, International trade treaties, national revenue and employment generation, we thought your input will help enhance the process. Your comments should guide us to have a more acceptable policy for Industry stakeholders.
The Welcome remarks and introduction of Facilitator (Mr. Keith Evans, ICAP) was given by Franklin Cudjoe, Executive Director,IMANI
A Presentation on what informed current regulations of the Alcohol Industry by Mr. Kwamena Van-Ess, Deputy CEO, Food & Drugs Board
A Presentation on Alcohol consumption and public health concerns was given by Minister of Health, Major Courage Quarshigah