Local gin (akpeteshie) and HIV/AIDS in the Upper West Region of Ghana: the need for preventive health policy

The paper describes a qualitative analysis of community perceptions of the relationship between locally brewed alcohol (akpeteshie) and the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Upper West Region of Ghana. A thematic analysis of focus group discussions show that akpeteshie consumption is on the rise among adults and young people, with severe impacts on women who are constantly living in poverty, frequently subjected to coercive sex and violence which exposes them to HIV, infectious, and other sexually transmitted diseases. The findings suggest that intervention programmes must focus on akpeteshie bars, "places" which have become the "daily spots" for drinking. Furthermore, control and prevention programmes must be linked to the economic empowerment of women and young people in the region.