Fighting poverty through alcohol misuse prevention in Malawi

Alcohol misuse is associated with medical, psychological and social harm via intoxication, dependence and toxicity. The link between alcohol misuse and poverty has also been documented in several studies. Interventions that can effectively prevent alcohol misuse are therefore expected to directly contribute to poverty reduction. The enforcement of alcohol policies are generally regarded as a necessary intervention. However, for such policies to be effective, they need to be based on research evidence. The Malawian government has acknowledged the damage that alcohol misuse is having on its population, and the manner in which this abuse serves to perpetuate poverty. Malawian policy makers and other stakeholders, including NGOs working in the area of alcohol and drugs, have clearly expressed a desire to address this issue using an evidence-based approach. However, the government lacks relevant information on alcohol consumption, and existing alcohol policies are therefore not based on national research evide nce. This project has been developed in collaboration with these stakeholders, and aims to support their goals by producing national data on alcohol misuse, and by increasing the country's own capacity to collect this data on a long-term basis through res earcher collaboration and training. The proposed study will also shed light on the association between alcohol misuse and poverty in the Malawian context. Our main objective is to document, describe and explore patterns of alcohol use in the Malawian popu lation. In addition we will explore people's opinions and experiences of current and future policy and interventions related to alcohol use. The project will use a triangulation of methods, collecting quantitative and qualitative data as well as relevant documents and literature. The project will be planned, developed, carried out and disseminated as a close collaboration between the researchers, policy makers, NGOs and multi-lateral organizations.