Epidemiology of Alcoholism and alcohol related problems Dr Achille BAPOLISI

INTRODUCTION It is estimated that about 76.3 million people have a diagnosable alcohol use disorder world wide.(WHO,2004) The global burden related to alcohol consumption both in terms of morbidity and mortality is considerable in most parts of the world. Alcohol consumption causes 3.2% of deaths (1.8 million people) and 4.0% of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY’s).(MICHAUD C 2001)

Alcohol use, abuse, and dependence are complex behavioral traits influenced by many factors: genetic and biological responses environmental influences stages of development, from childhood to early adulthood Etiology of Alcohol Use Disorders

Alcohol use, abuse, and dependence are complex behavioral traits influenced by many factors: genetic and biological responses environmental influences stages of development, from childhood to early adulthood

Alcoholism: A Common Complex Disease

Extent of Influence Initiation of Drinking ProgressionAlcoholic Drinking Environmental (familial and non familial) Personality/Temperament (Endophenotype) Pharmacological effects of ethanol (Intermediate Phenotypes) Developmental Trajectory of AUD Initiation and Continuation of Drinking

COMMORBIDITIES AND OUTCOMES

ALCOHOLISM IN UGANDA

Uganda has one of the highest alcohol per capita consumptions in the world with an alcohol consumption of liters of pure alcohol per capita. 3 Alcohol related problems are highly correlated with a high per capita consumption and indeed, in Uganda, this rate of alcohol consumption is associated with health and social consequences including psychiatric disorders. 1,4 Previous studies conducted in the Ugandan setting have shown alcohol use to be associated with road traffic accidents, domestic violence and transmission of HIV/AIDS. 1,5,6,7

CONCLUSION Alcohol uses is a serious health problem world wide in view of its high prevalence, morbidity and mortality. It’s a complex desease resulting in the interaction of predisposing genetic traits, precipitating psychochological factors and favorising envorinemental influences. Uganda has one of the higher prevalence and rate of alcohol consumption in the world.

REFERENCES 1.WHO (2004) Global status report on Alcohol: Country profiles.World Health Organization: Geneva. 2.Michaud C, Murray CJL, Bloom BR. Burden of disease – implications for future research. JAMA 2001; 285: Preliminary results from the Gender, Alcohol and Culture: An International Study (GENACIS Project). International Research Group on Gender and Alcohol (for more information please see ml). ml 4.Alcohol per capita consumption, patterns of drinking and abstention worldwide after Appendix European Addiction Research, 2001, 7(3):155– WHO focal point data. Response to WHO survey on burden of disease attributable to alcohol: unrecorded alcohol consumption and drinking patterns. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2001.