Alcohol – a great public health harm
Commonwealth Medical Association

Dr S Arulrhaj
President Commonwealth MedicalAssociation (CMA)
Chairman IndianAlcohol PolicyAlliance (IAPA)

GAPA warmly welcomes and salutes the installation of Dr S Arulrhaj as CMA President for the next three years.

Also Chairman of IAPA and former President of the Indian MedicalAssociation.

DrArulrhaj has made tackling public health problems related to alcohol as one of his top priorities during his triennium. GAPA colleagues have assured him of their support and commend his commitment to this challenging public health issue.

The installation ceremony took place during the joint CIMA and CGP 007 Conference in Chennai, 24th and 25th November 2007. In a well-attended meeting Professor A.B. Akosa, handed over the Presidency and felicitations were delivered by Smt Radhika Selis (Honorary Union Minister of State for Home Affairs) and Smt Geetha Jeevan (Honorary Minister for Animal Husbandry).

As incoming President, DrArulrhaj was praised for his dedicated service to medicine and for his many acts of philanthropy.

In his Presidential address, following greetings, DrArulrhaj said that it was “a proud moment for me to stand before you as the President, CMA. At this juncture I remember the support extended by our National President, IMA, Dr Ajay Kumar and past National Presidents, Dr Ketan Desai, Dr P V George and Dr Sudipto Roy to bring this honour to India”.

48 out of the 53 Commonwealth countries are members of CMA, and DrArulrhaj will be supported by a strong team of Regional Vice Presidents and by CMA Secretary ,Dr Oheneba Owusu-Danso from Ghana.

Under the theme of Healthcare, the President makes a strong call for action on Alcohol. Both the American Medical Association and the World Medical Association have sent strong recommendations to WHO. Equally the CMA has supported the stand of WHO to develop a Global Strategy on Alcohol. The CMA will call on Governments to take action to limit the health consequences of alcohol.

“Many views are aired that alcohol is good for Health if taken within limits. Limit is the issue for human beings everywhere. Alcohol related diseases are on the increase; one in six hospital beds are occupied by Alcohol Related Diseases, one in three Emergency Bed is occupied by RTA victims suffered by Drink Driving. The mortality and morbidity rate is higher than that of Heart Attacks and HIV/AIDS. It is a hidden killer which is surfacing very badly.

“I appeal to National Medical Associations to highlight the Public Health Harms of Alcohol to their Government and to their Society.” Dr Arulrhaj, President CMA.

Training
Dr Arulrhaj also announced the establishment of a CMA Trust to support poorer countries in developing their Medical Education,Training and Healthcare Strategies.

Twinning arrangements between countries will also facilitate Medical Education and Healthcare across the divide so that “all Commonwealth Nations will be Developed Nations in Health.” Collaborating with the CMA in the training of the Medical profession in alcohol issues and interventions will be a priority for GAPA, and we look forward to the achievement of this ambitious triennium goal.

Mr Derek Rutherford,Chairman ,GAPA, presented a lecture during the Scientific Programme of the Conference in place of Professor Brian Prichard, CBE, who was attending a seminar on alcohol harm with the British Prime Minister at Downing Street.

In his closing remarks, Derek Rutherford encouraged CMA members to work together to meet the challenge of the ‘global culture of intoxication’.

“The Medical Profession is in a unique and influencial position to safeguard the health and well being of individuals and to advocate implementation of alcohol control policies that work. Together we must face the challenges of this global culture of intoxication. We have to build up the human capital in youth, lest, as the World Development Report of theWorld Bank (2007) warns – missed opportunities to invest in and prepare this generation will be extremely costly to reverse both for young people and society.”