Jose M Bueno, WE member at large, represented WE at the European Alcohol Health Alliance Symposium held in Copenhagen (Demark) on 11th December 2024. It was organised by WHO/Europe and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and representatives of 22 European health organisations attended it.
Alcohol-related harms are a major public health concern in the European Union (EU), which has the highest alcohol consumption in the world. As part of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the EU aims to reduce harms due to alcohol consumption through collaboration, coordination, and support from the WHO Regional Office for Europe in the WHO/EU Evidence into Action Alcohol Project (EVID-ACTION), which was officially launched in December 2022. Through the EVID-ACTION project, WHO/Europe is actively working to establish and support alcohol action-oriented networks of collaborators across the region to increase public awareness and change the narrative on alcohol, promote evidence-based policies (including the WHO cost-effective “Best Buy” policies), and support the implementation of innovative methods in health promotion activities and of best practices for reducing alcohol consumption and harms.
WHO Europe is collaborating with the European Association of the Study of the Liver (EASL) to establish a European network of health professionals that will work together to provide clinical leadership for the implementation of best alcohol guidelines and practices to reduce alcohol-related harms within the European region.
The aim of the meeting was to engage health professionals in a focused discussion on the urgency and value of coordinated actions to reduce alcohol-related harms across Europe, including the formation of a European Alcohol Health Alliance.
The format was a mix of group work, plenary presentations and creative ways of connecting and getting to know each other.
During the meeting experts highlighted the critical role of healthcare professionals in addressing this public health challenge.
Frank Murray, gastroenterologist from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, emphasized, "There is no safe level of alcohol consumption." He called on clinicians and healthcare organizations to advocate for evidence-based alcohol policies, free from industry interference, to improve citizens' well-being. "For too long, policy, distribution, advertising and pricing have been dominated by the alcohol industry. Health professionals must make their voices heard".
The magnitude of the issue calls for immediate action. Aleksander Krag, Secretary General of EASL, revealed, "We are looking at 3 million annual deaths globally, 800,000 in Europe, due to alcohol." Krag stressed the power of unity, stating, "If we come together and speak one voice, then I'm sure we can bring science and knowledge into action."
Catherine Paradis, WHO expert, underscored the unique position of health professionals in promoting public health. Drawing parallels with past successes, she noted, "Health professionals are uniquely positioned to talk about the consequences of alcohol use. They possess a unique combination of expertise and public trust." Paradis pointed out that when health professionals got involved in the fight against tobacco, significant change began to occur.
Jose M Bueno, highlighted family doctor’s instrumental role in primary prevention (community actions), secondary prevention (screening and brief intervention) and tertiary prevention (minimizing deterioration of functioning in chronically sufferers from alcoholic dependence and rehabilitation). He noted “We, the front-line doctors, the GPs, are the ones who know best our patients, their families and their communities and the ones they trust most”. The EVID-ACTION has as specific objective 3 “screening and brief interventions”: (i) Provide practical technical tools and training to support implementation of evidence informed screening and brief interventions in primary health care, the workplace and social services contexts. (ii) Assess and map existing resources and tools, as well as partnership requirements, so as to facilitate implementation of screening and brief interventions in different settings. He introduced the Brief guide for screening and brief intervention in risky and harmful alcohol consumption in Primary Care produced by SEMFYC 2024 and translated into English in 2024.
Throughout the meeting, all participants agreed for the need of an Alliance. They highlighted the Alliance as a powerful opportunity to leverage their collective expertise and credibility to enable change and they engaged in discussions about the Alliance’s vision and practical aspects for its launch in 2025.
This symposium marks a crucial step in uniting healthcare voices across Europe. With their expertise and public trust, health professionals can play a pivotal role in advocating for effective alcohol policies, potentially improving public health across the continent.