World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new Global Status Report on Nonommunicable Diseases (NCDs). The report states that most premature NCD deaths are preventable. Of the 38 million lives lost to NCDs in 2012, 16 million or 42% were premature and avoidable – up from 14.6 million in 2000.

Alcohol plays a role in numerous stages of HIV disease from disease acquisition to health seeking behaviours to ART adherence to disease outcomes. Alcohol policy can impact on the HIV epidemic, said Dr. Neo K. Morojele at NGO forum in Botswana.

Many statistics, numbers and graphs have been used over the years to show the magnitude of the alcohol problem. But figures often fail to show the human suffering which follows harmful use of alcohol. Soul City in South Africa has gone to the other end of the scale by asking young people to tell their personal stories. Touching and informative, and strong reminders that there are many aspects of alcohol use which are not shown in alcohol advertising.

At a function in downtown Gaborone, Botswana a new policy alliance and an NGO manual on alcohol advertising was launched in the presence of the Ministry of Health. - We need strong civil society voices in the alcohol policy field, commented the Deputy Permanent Secretary Mrs. Shenaaz El-Halabi on behalf of the Ministry.

Two new policy programmes, an ambitious plan of action for the next four years and a new and younger leaderships. These are some of the outcomes of the 68^th IOGT World Congress which was held in Cha Am, Thailand last week. The congress re-confirmed that IOGT International is one of the most vibrant and competent civil society organizations in the international alcohol and drugs field. The picture shows new IOGT president Kristina Sperkova and past president Sven-Olov Carlsson.