The WHO, in a press release summarizing the results of the assembly, recognized that work needed to be intensified to "curb the harmful use of alcohol" which is the fifth leading risk factor for death and disability in the world.Sweden has pushed hard for the development of a global strategy and has received the backing of its Scandinavian neighbours in lobbying for the adoption of a 'Swedish' view on alcohol policy.
The resolution brought by Sweden and the other Nordic countries at the World Health Assembly in 2007 failed in the face of opposition from Cuba, a significant alcohol producer.
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