IMANI
IMANI (Centre for Policy and Education) is a Ghanaian think tank set up in 2004 which is
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This article is part of the Spinwatch public health oriented Alcohol Portal project. |
“dedicated to educating society on the benefits of a free economy and fostering public awareness of important policy issues concerning business, government and civil society” [1]. The group claims to be part of an international network of right leaning free market think tanks which includes Instituto Bruno Leoni, the Heritage Foundation, International Policy Network, Initiative for Public Policy Analysis, Nigeria, Atlas Center for Economic Research [2]. This group is working with alcohol producers to develop national alcohol strategies. and Evans is regarded as a consultant on alcohol control policies, the alcohol industry are developing and funding alcohol control polices which are ineffective at best, and deeply cynical at worst. Even if public health campaigners do succeed in achieving a global strategy to tackle alcohol related harm the industry are already deeply entrenched within many emerging economies and developing countries. This amplifies the problem and undermines genuine efforts to improve and protect public health; paradoxically this gives the industry the position of concerned policy partner further contributing to their sense of corporate social responsibility.
Keith Evans of the American based International Center for Alcohol Policies, an organisation that lobbies governments and produces research totally funded and controlled by the major alcohol producers, is meeting with African governments with a draft alcohol policy document designed by big alcohol. The alcohol industry sends individuals like Evans to direct alcohol control polices in their favour. Ghana, like many other African nations, currently has no alcohol policy.
