Africa Urged to Embrace Harm Reduction as Transformative Public Health Strategy

On October 26, 2023

Nairobi, Kenya – Stakeholders in the health sector are being challenged to adopt harm reduction as a guiding principle in the development of public health strategies across Africa, writes Winston Mwale.

Harm reduction entails interventions aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of health behaviours without necessarily eradicating these behaviors entirely or permanently.

Speaking during the third annual Harm Reduction Exchange event with the theme “Amplifying the voice of Harm Reduction advocacy across Africa,” Dr. Kgosi Letlape, President of the African Medical Association and the Association of Medical Councils of Africa, urged African governments to consider harm reduction approaches in the regulation of public health challenges.