WMA statement at the Fifth WHO Forum on Alcohol, Drugs and Addictive Behaviours

WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION MEDICALE MONDIALE
ASOCIACION MEDICA MUNDIAL
Centre International de Bureaux
Immeuble A “Keynes” Website : www.wma.net Postal Address :
13, chemin du Levant Telephone : (33) 4 50 40 75 75 Boîte Postale 63
01210 FERNEY-VOLTAIRE Fax : (33) 4 50 40 59 37 01210 FERNEY-VOLTAIRE Cedex
France E-mail address : wma@wma.net France
Fifth WHO Forum on Alcohol, Drugs and Addictive Behaviours
Aligning efforts, strengthening solidarity and partnerships
24-26 June 2025
Reducing alcohol-related harm
WMA STATEMENT
The World Medical Association (WMA) has a long-standing policy on alcohol, denouncing the
extensive medical, psychological and social harm caused by alcohol consumption. It is an
important risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which is a leading cause of death
globally.
Alcohol consumption and its impact on health are influenced by a variety of social determinants,
such as socio-economic status, education and cultural norms. Understanding the social
determinants related to alcohol consumption provides insight into the root causes of the problem
and enables the development of effective and holistic health policies. To that end, the WMA
stresses that alcohol consumption must be tackled as part of strategies for the prevention and
treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs):
§ Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of NCDs should be incorporated into Universal Health
Coverage (UHC) Benefit Package, with targeted investments in health promotion, primary
care, access to essential medicines and evidence-based, equitable and sustainable policies.
§ Universal Health Coverage should encompass the implementation of WHO “Best Buys” for
the prevention and control of NCDs, particularly with regard to alcohol control through:
taxation and price increases on alcoholic beverages, restrictions on access to alcohol, and
bans on alcohol marketing.
§ Investment in well-trained, professionally educated workforce with adequate equipment and
protection is vital to achieving the global NCD agenda. Without this, efforts to diagnose,
treat, prevent and rehabilitate will fail. Qualified health personnel are the cornerstone of
resilient and equitable health systems.
WMA page 2
To conclude, we reaffirm the absolute necessity to protect public health priorities from
commercial interference in order to ensure effective prevention of alcohol-related harm and we
reiterate our recommendation to establish a comprehensive global regulatory framework for
alcohol, modelled on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
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24.06.2025