Rwanda has ordered a nationwide recall of alcoholic beverages and shut down 101 manufacturing facilities following a wave of deaths and illnesses linked to contaminated liquor.

The Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA) announced the measures on Monday after inspections uncovered widespread safety and licensing violations at different distilleries. The recall affects dozens of locally produced alcoholic beverages.

At least 50 people have died this year after consuming contaminated liquor, while more than 500 required hospital treatment and around 100 reportedly suffered blindness, according to Rwanda’s health ministry.

“We consider it an epidemic,” Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana said, as quoted by local media, warning that the country would “pay the price tomorrow” without urgent action.

The crackdown comes amid widespread alcohol consumption in Rwanda. The Seventh Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey found that 15% of men and 7% of women drink alcohol daily, while half of men and 18% of women aged 15 to 49 surveyed had consumed alcohol in the preceding month.

Rwanda’s campaign mirrors a broader regional push to curb alcohol abuse. In neighboring Kenya, authorities launched a nationwide crackdown in 2024, shutting down thousands of illegal bars and distilleries, tightening licensing rules and introducing tougher penalties for venues that violated operating hours.

Uganda has also stepped up efforts to tackle alcohol abuse, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), which has backed new national guidelines for treating alcohol use disorders.

The WHO has also said European colonial expansion transformed alcohol in Africa from a largely local product into a commercial commodity through taxation and mass distribution.

In a review, the agency noted the colonial period “introduced commercialization and taxation of alcoholic beverages” and used alcohol availability as a tool to control local workforces.