By : Edward ChikhwanaCivil Society led Task Force Chairperson

29th June 2011Cresta Crossroads Hotel

Lilongwe, Malawi

Strategies used in the policy development process

Key activities undertaken in the Development process

Some of the key findings in the district consultations

Challenges Key recommendations

Civil Society led process All the activities in the initial stages of the

formulation process were led by Drug Fight Malawi until at a later stage when Ministry of Health as a host ministry was

handed over the finalization activities of the policy

Multi-stakeholder involvement and participation

The policy formulation process involved key strategic partners and stakeholders both

public and civil society organizations especially the networks such as MANASO, MHEN,HRCC, NGO-GCN, etc

Involvement of the grassroots communities

The process consulted the grassroots through traditional leaders, religious leaders, the local brewers, the

imbibers of locally brewed beerParticipation of key policy makers and implementers

The process involved MP’s, and District Councils in the districts where

consultations were done

Activity 1. Putting in Place the Taskforce Committee

The task force to lead the activities in the formulation of the policy was put in place at a conference that was held to discuss alcohol and related harms in 2007

The taskforce comprised of public and civil society institutions including

Government ministries

Development of the strategic plan for the development of the policy

The taskforce developed the master plan that was used as a guide in the development process of the policyTaskforce meetings

Consultations were done within the taskforce members to identify key policy issues

Consultations with Inter-ministerial Committee on Drug Control

The taskforce made consultations with inter-ministerial committee on drug

control to get their views on the issues to be considered in the policyHiring of consultant to take lead of the technical part of the process

The taskforce hired a consultant to lead in the technical part of the policy formulation process

Baseline survey on Unrecorded alcohol The taskforce commissioned a baseline

survey on unrecorded alcohol. This survey was done by another consultant

who was specifically hired to do the baseline survey.

The survey was done in a number of district in all the three regions of Malawi

District consultations meetings District consultations were done in eight

districts of Malawi The district consultations meetings were

attended by MP’s, Government departments, religious leaders, political leaders, traditional leaders, teachers, youth

The consultant led all the proceedings during the district consultations meetings

Time limitation of operation; people are proposing that all drinking places in Malawi, rural or town should be opened at 2.00 pm and closing at 10.00 pm- like in Tanzania and other countries

Licensing of local brewers for monitoring purposes

strictly enforce age limiting on one to access beer

Total ban of liquor sachets and all other cheap beer

Put strict measures to ensure all drinking places are far from schools, hospitals and residential places

Reduction of alcohol content (through discussions with brewers

Encourage local punishment i.e. to those not abiding by the law

Reviewing of existing legislation on alcohol Increase of prices of beer Comprehensive sensitization of the public on

harmful alcohol consumption and its consequences

Legalize local spirits but with authorised alcohol content – by MBS