Excess alcohol consumption in Togo: an alarming trend

Excess alcohol consumption in Togo: an alarming trend
Extract from the article: On 21 and 22 November in Kpalimé, the Ministry of Health presented the results of the STEPS 2021 survey on risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The survey was carried out with financial support from the WHO. The STEPS survey, carried ou

On 21 and 22 November in Kpalimé, the Ministry of Health presented the results of the STEPS 2021 survey on risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The survey was carried out with financial support from the WHO. The STEPS survey, carried out throughout Togo between December 2021 and February 2022, revealed a resurgence of NCDs in the country. Among the causes listed was excessive alcohol consumption. The Plateaux region ranks 1st.

The survey revealed, among other things, that the prevalence of alcohol consumption in Togo is 62.7%. The Plateaux region beats the record with 74%, followed by Kara with 66.1%. Grand-Lomé  is third (65%),  Maritime fourth (57,6%). The Savanes region is fifth (53.8%) and the Central region last (49.5%).

According to a report by the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU), alcohol is the substance most commonly used in Togo, accounting for 43% of cases, followed by cannabis at 26% and opioids of medical origin at 19% 12. Young adults, particularly those aged between 20 and 39, are the most affected by this consumption.

According to Touré Khadidja Cathérine, President of the NGO Recherche, Action, Prévention et Accompagnement des Addictions (RAPAA), the use of psychoactive substances is a widespread problem in West Africa, particularly in Togo. It has become a social and public health problem.

Beware of chronic diseases

A lifestyle that is not without consequences for health. «Unfortunately, alcohol targets noble organs such as the digestive tract, oesophagus and stomach; it burns cells and enters the bloodstream.Alcohol weakens the arteries, passes into the liver to be metabolised and this destroys the liver cells. Alcohol also enters the brain and attacks the brain cells, gradually leading to dementia», warns Professor Belo Mofou, Head of the Non-Communicable Diseases Surveillance Division at the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, and National Coordinator of the STEPS Togo 2021 survey.

Alcoholic drinks also contain a lot of sugar, which is dangerous for the body.   The Togolese drink... far too much. Alcohol abuse peaks at weekends. The consequences are dramatic.  As well as affecting physical and mental health, it also contributes to social problems. The case of Kokou, a young secondary school pupil I met in Adidogomé SAGbado, is a good illustration of what parents suffer when these boys become addicted to alcohol.According to witnesses, they often look for him for days on end before ‘picking him up in a corner of the neighbourhood and taking him home’, as Richard, a carpenter and close family friend, points out. There are many families in Togo «who are affected, distraught, upset and powerless in the face of this phenomenon, and who don't know what to do when faced with the addiction of one of their own», says Richard.

Main causes

 Alcohol consumption among young adults in Togo is influenced by a number of socio-cultural, economic and psychological factors. Consumers often use metaphors and other linguistic devices to describe their drinking habits and practices, the different types of alcoholic drinks and the effects and dangers attributed to them. «We don't really know what these drinks are made of. But for young people, it's the search for physical and sexual strength, and through these drinks, they think they can find what they're looking for when in truth it's all damaging to their physical and mental health », said Touré Khadidja Cathérine, President of RAPAA.

A phenomenon that requires « a large-scale response».

Why and how did we get here?  Does it have to do with the affordability of alcohol? Social influence? Or a culture that often links alcohol with conviviality and success? Beyond government policies, every Togolese citizen has a specific role to play. Habits and priorities need to be reviewed, the health-alcohol relationship needs to be questioned, and healthy options for socialising need to be encouraged. The STEPS study is not just a succession of statistics; it is a projected reflection of Togolese society.Alcoholism is not a fatality, but an issue that can be resolved through shared determination, personal awareness and joint action between the authorities and the population.Every glass in excess is another step towards preventable repercussions.We need to change things, for ourselves and for future generations.

The ‘STEPwise’ approach recommended by the WHO was the methodology used from the planning phase through to dissemination of the results. Finally, this survey provides the entire Togolese health system with basic factual indicators on the risk factors for the main non-communicable diseases and the initial population trends on which the various programmes to combat them can base their development of appropriate policies and strategies.

Abel OZIH

Author
santé éducation
Editor
Abel OZIH

On 21 and 22 November in Kpalimé, the Ministry of Health presented the results of the STEPS 2021 survey on risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The survey was carried out with financial support from the WHO. The STEPS survey, carried ou

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