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The impact of alcohol consumption on African people in 2012: an analysis of burden of disease
Author(s) -
FerreiraBorges Carina,
Rehm Jürgen,
Dias Sónia,
Babor Thomas,
Parry Charles D. H.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1111/tmi.12618
Subject(s) - environmental health , medicine , alcohol , harm , disease burden , burden of disease , incidence (geometry) , public health , alcohol consumption , consumption (sociology) , disease , population , psychology , biology , biochemistry , social science , sociology , social psychology , physics , nursing , optics
Objectives To determine the impact of alcohol consumption on deaths and disability in Africa. Methods We estimated alcohol exposure for 2012, and its impact on deaths and disability in Africa using estimates from the WHO Global Health Estimates for outcome data, and the WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2014 for risk relations. We provide a scenario that includes the impact of alcohol on HIV / AIDS incidence, and qualitative predictions on future exposure and harm. Results Overall, alcohol consumption has a large impact on burden of disease and mortality in African countries. Alcohol‐attributable disease burden is more important when the impact of alcohol consumption on the incidence and course of HIV / AIDS is taken into account, with alcohol being responsible, in 2012, for 6.4% of all deaths and 4.7% of all DALY s lost in the African region. Alcohol exposure is expected to increase in the next years, and thus alcohol‐attributable fractions. Conclusions The weight of new evidence, especially of alcohol's role in the incidence and course of HIV / AIDS , is particularly relevant to African countries and points to the need for a strong policy response to reduce the alcohol‐related burden of disease on the continent.