WHO ranks Uganda most alcoholic nation in Africa

The 2023 report, which is structured under the theme "monitoring health for the SDGs and sustainable development," indicated that on average, a Ugandan consumes 12.21 litres of alcohol annually.

The report further indicated that men in Uganda consume more alcohol compared to women, with each consuming an average of 19.93 litres of pure alcohol compared to 4.88 litres of alcohol consumed by women annually.

Seychelles follows Uganda with an average annual alcohol consumption of 11.99 litres of pure alcohol for men and 4.72 litres for women.

Tanzania is ranked third with an average alcohol consumption of 10.36 litres annually.

The report highlights some of the key successes and challenges in the public health sector across the continent, with a focus on SDG indicators and trends.

WHO indicates in the report that about three million deaths (about 5.3% of all deaths) across the world occur annually as a result of harmful consumption of alcohol.

The report further indicates that the percentage of alcohol-attributable deaths among men across the world stands at 7.7%, while that of women stands at 2.6%. The report attributes 5.1% of global diseases and injuries to harmful alcohol consumption.

WHO says harmful consumption of alcohol is the underlying factor in more than 200 diseases and injuries across the world.

Public health experts have attributed the new findings to poor economic conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic, which they say drove quite a number of people into drinking when faced with these challenges.