Alcohol prevention research and policy development in LMICs: New perspectives, insights and recommendations

Abstract

Alcohol consumption presents a significant public health challenge globally and the World Health Organization (WHO, 2024) prioritizes evidence-based strategies and highimpact policies to reduce alcohol harm.Yet, substantial expansions in alcohol research, capacity, and policy development are urgently needed in many regions of the world to continue to build the evidence base and make progress.This special issue includes eight articles addressing alcohol prevention research and recommendations for policy development specifically in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).To create a unique platform for showcasing and accelerating engagement and dissemination of innovative alcohol research and capacity building efforts for the prevention of alcohol-related harm, particularly in low-resource settings, we proposed this special issue in the International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research (IJADR).We wanted to gather information that is seldom captured in the scientific literature and to also intentionally invite community perspectives and insights into strategies to mitigate alcohol-related harm and promote public health in settings and countries where they are most urgently needed (WHO, 2024).