Tobacco Control in Africa - TCA

Wishes for 2012: Transparency, Accountability and Farewell to all.

After 5 years of advocating for transparency in tobacco control in Africa, from January 2007 to December 2011, I have to admit my efforts have failed. For 2012 and the years to come I can only wish that the very basic requirements for transparency and accountability that I summarized in a transparency scorecard start being implemented by all the organizations involved in promoting tobacco control in Africa.

Honest Feedback, Advocating for transparency, 2007-2011

This is an updated version of the first two editions, with a slightly different subtitle and new cover pictures. Available via Blurb.com and as an e-book via Amazon-Kindle. It focuses on the need for public transparency (and accountability) as a condition to get real feedback and to improve the overall performance in the management of the grants awarded by the Gates Foundation and the Bloomberg Initiative to promote tobacco control in Africa.

Looking back at 2011

A subjective selection of significant posts among the 160 published in 2011 (+ 40 in French on Vers une Afrique Sans Tabac). Sorry but no systematic links (too long to do).

Message of Ebeh Kodjo about 2011 and 2012: what is the real financial situation for ATCA and the African Consortium?

In a short email message dated December 19, Ebeh Kodjo states that "2012 will not be easy. It will be challenging, annoying, with less money and more demands." Unfortunately he does not provide any hard numbers about ATCA or the Consortium's finances for 2011 or 2012. His apparent pessimism about money seems inconsistent with the information available that seems to point toward increased resources.

From $7 million to $7,884,847: the amount of the grant awarded in 2009 by the Gates Foundation to the African Consortium has increased by 12.64%.

While the initial amount awarded in 2009 was $7 million, the amount now mentioned on the Foundation's site is $7,884,847 (+12.64%). It's good news, but how and why this increase? Does it represent the interests of the invested money?

Uganda: Anti-tobacco bill tabled in Parliament

Nelson Wesonga's article in the Daily Monitor about this initiative to update the Tobacco Control and Marketing Act of 1967.
Source: Daily Monitor

Congo-Brazzaville: a training workshop organized by the African Consortium

Read the article written by Tih. Why didn't the participants have a copy of the existing law? Isn't it published? The same questions apply to the laws passed in Burkina, Chad and Niger. Why are those texts not available on line? They have to be published somewhere and it should be possible to scan them and post them on line? 

CTFK's search for a "Director of Africa" continues with a slightly new version of the job ad

Below is the new job description. If you want to compare with the previous ones. This new version has more details. It mentions a lot of traveling: 30 to 40% of the time. Is it really the best way to operate in our digital age? This text raises other issues (at least for me) but I'll keep them private for now. If you want a hint, read Honest Feedback, Questions to the Gates Foundation as it contains a frank assessment of the performance of the various past and existing programs from which a new more effective strategy can be defined. After revisiting the site of the organization in charge of the search I see the job description is now the same to this new version they probably created.

Uganda: The Journey from the Farm to the Lungs: Who gains from Tobacco in Africa?

Interesting article by Henry Zacumumpa about a public lecture titled, ‘The Journey from the Farm to the Lungs: Who gains from Tobacco in Africa?’ that took place on November 1st in Kampala.
Source: The Observer

About the Gates Foundation

This interesting article by Caroline Preston in The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Afrigator closes down

Afrigator was a blog content aggregator we had joined from the very beginning. It appears they have closed down on December 1. Too bad.

Namibia and Malawi: a report of the World Bank about corruption and tax evasion

A sobering report but what fixes?

Zimbabwe: Mugabe’s Seized Farms Boost British American Tobacco Profits in Zimbabwe

A well researched investigation by Brian Latham for Bloomberg News.

Source: Bloomberg

Nigeria: Will President Jonathan sign the tobacco control law or allow the industry to operate almost unregulated?

Excellent article in The Nation by Leke Salauden that gives stories of tobacco victims and relates the concerns of tobacco control advocates about the future of the law that needs the signature of the President. 
Source: The Nation

Uganda: Inauguration of the CTCA

Visiting the site of the Tobacco Free Initiative about the inauguration of the Center for Tobacco Control in Africa on November 1, we find this link to the presentation given by Cynthia Lewis,  senior program officer for the Gates Foundation.

CTCA: The Center for Tobacco Control in Africa visited by IDRC

IDRC would be considering a partnership with CTCA.

The 10 countries the Consortium works with

The Africa Tobacco Control Consortium works in 10 countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa. These countries include Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Zambia, The Gambia, Gabon, Senegal, Uganda and Congo Brazzaville. You can learn more about our project activities in these countries. For update on our project in the individual countries, please click on the country name below: Updates on our In-Country Projects

Projects in Republic of Benin   ( 0 Articles ) Projects in Botswana   ( 0 Articles ) Projects in Algeria   ( 0 Articles ) Projects in Cameroun   ( 0 Articles ) Projects in Zambia   ( 0 Articles ) Projects in Sierra Leone   ( 0 Articles ) Projects in Gambia   ( 0 Articles ) Projects in Congo Brazaville   ( 0 Articles ) Projects in Senegal   ( 0 Articles ) Projects in Gabon   ( 0 Articles ) Projects in Uganda   ( 0 Articles )

 

Africa Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders

Read the results here.

CTFK: Announcing Round 11 of the Bloomberg Initiative Grants Program

CTFK announces Round 11 of the Bloomberg Initiative Grants program. The deadline is January 23, 2012. Read below for details.

Drastic Price Decrease Threatens to Increase Youth Smoking Rates in Senegal

Find below the press release published by CTFK in support of the protest by the Senegalese League Against Tobacco.

Relevé chronologique des subventions accordées depuis 2007 dans les pays francophones

Avec l'arrivée de la fin de l'année 2011, nous avons effectué un relevé des principaux financements accordés depuis 2007 à la lutte contre le tabagisme en Afrique francophone par l'Initiative Bloomberg ($1.437.146) et la Fondation Gates ($907.158) pour un total de $2.344.304
Il conviendrait d'ajouter à ces sommes les crédits obtenus pas l'OTAF, les "petites" subventions de la FCA et de l'ACS (avant la création du Consortium), les subventions de la Norwegian Cancer Society.

Transparency International: Corruption Index 2011

Click here to see the map and click on each country to find out its score.

Ghana: failing its obligation to the FCTC

Ghana has failed to meet its obligations on article 8, 13 and 5.2 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). February 27, 2010 was the deadline for Ghana to have implemented a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (Article 13) and ban smoking in public places (Article 8). Ghana is expected to have in place comprehensive tobacco control legislation five years after ratifying the FCTC (Article 5.2).

What happened to the $18 million grant awarded in July by the Gates Foundation to the Bloomberg Family Foundation (with "priority focus on Africa"?

In August we posted on the blog about this grant awarded supposedly in July, but now it does not appear any longer on the Gates Foundation site. What happened? 

The Gates Foundation's Tobacco Strategy Overview (November 2011)

Below are parts of the document titled Tobacco Strategy Overview (pdf), that specifically refer to Africa. The document is dated November 2011. See at the end the priorities for future investments. How will those priorities be implemented is another story, a story maybe worth millions of dollars.

Studying tobacco control laws in Africa

Visiting the tobacco control laws website initiated by the International Legal Consortium of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids I find analyses of the existing legislation of a few countries (5) but not the texts themselves. Maybe local advocates could provide the original texts so everybody can access them?

Senegal: Philip Morris lower the prices of its cigarettes and the President Wade requests "proofs" that tobacco is harmful in Senegal

Mamadou of ATCA provided this information (read below). Most of the sources available on line are in French. Philip Morris lowered its prices to counter the competition from low cost brands. The government has remained silent (for now) while the President Wade was reported as requesting proof that tobacco was a public health hazard in Senegal before approving any tobacco control measure. The Senegalese advocates ask the international community to protest.

Here is a link to file a message for the Senegalese Government. Do not forget to confirm you message to make sure it is sent. If you want a sample in French I have copied the protest I sent at the bottom of this post (and here on another post).

Here is a link to file a protest with the Senegalese Health Department. Strangely their news feed for today reports about the protest from the Senegalese League Against Tobacco (LISTAB). I would suggest you send a copy of your protest to Mamadou Bamba Sagna: sagna at atca-africa.org

Graphic warnings in Niger?

The Gates Foundation indicates in a new document about its tobacco control strategy (pdf) that, "Niger introduced graphic warning labels covering 50 percent of the front and back of cigarette packs and banned point of sale displays."  Where does this information come from? We did find this presentation (in French) by Inoussa Saouna who mentions graphic warnings covering up to 30% of the pack (recto and verso) according to the Tobacco Control Act of 2006 and the implementation decrees of 2008 but has the implementation of this decision really taken place? This recent article (September 2011) is titled (in French of course): L'application de la loi anti-tabac se  fait toujours attendre, Implementation of the Tobacco Control Act, we are still waiting. It would not be the first time that there is a very long delay between the enactment of a law and its real implementation.

 

Tanzania: Opening of the annual general meeting of the International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA)

Supposedly in defense of the interest of the tobacco farmers: ITGA.
Source: ippmedia.com  (about IPPMedia)

Togo: the government is thinking about implementing the law but claims lack of financial means and ask for support from the international community

How much is needed? For what exactly?

Togo: World No Tobacco Day Award for 2011 awarded today to Ebeh Kodjo Fabrice.

As described here. In his speech the representative of the Health Ministry talked about the implementation the Tobacco Control Act, supposed to start in 2012:

The government is seriously thinking of its implementation, but there is a lack of financial means to undertake activities in this vein. He outlined some the difficulties encountered by the Togolese government and expressed the hope that with this World No Tobacco Day Award 2011, the international community will increase its support to the government for an appropriate implementation of the tobacco control bill.

The article does not explain what the difficulties nor the financial needs are.

Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids: looking for a Director for Africa Initiatives

The announcement posted today on Bridgestar mentions a $1-3M budget (at the very end of the ad see below) but this information is not reproduced on the other sites that also post the ad, including the Non profit Professionals Advisory Group that seems to be in charge of the recruiting. The deadline for applying is January 12. The description of the position is close if not completely similar to the document titled Director Africa that has been posted on the CTFK site since March 2011. Earlier this month we also noted that CTFK was looking for a Program Officer.

What about the FCTC implementation reports?

Did your country send the required FCTC implementation reports? Check here.

FCA supported "shadow reporting" in 2010 in Ghana. We could not find a link to the report. What about the other countries?

Seychelles: Impact of smoking ban in public places

A small assessment study in the Seychelles published in the Tobacco Control Journal.

Bloomberg Philanthropies Report 2007-2011: Accelerating the worldwide movement to reduce tobacco use

CTFK blog announces the publication of a 'report' about the Bloomberg Initiative since its start in 2007: it's only a few pages long more like a very small brochure (pdf), titled Accelerating the worldwide movement to reduce tobacco use. What's next? How much of the $500 million funding has been spent? What about the sustainability of the initiative? As for Africa, what perspectives, what strategy, what funding, what governance, what evaluation, what detailed communication? What about the July 2011 grant from the Gates Foundation that is now MIA?

About how the Gates Foundation partners with journalists

Here is an interesting post by Reuters blogger Felix Salmon. I wish the Gates Foundation would realize that compensating African journalists to write stories (and produce radio shows as radio is such an important medium in Africa) about tobacco control would be the most cost effective way to raise the awareness and support advocacy about those issues.

Namibia: Tobacco Control Measure toughened while BAT threatens lawsuits and smoking prevalence is going up

From New Era.

Tanzania: A program to combat child labor in tobacco growing areas

From  AllAfrica.com

Kenya: Tobacco industry tries to amend 2007 Tobacco Control Act

From AllAfrica.com

Africa Tobacco Control Consortium: Updates about the projects: 0 article on the site, more info on Facebook

Visiting the site of the Africa Tobacco Control Consortium I looked at the page devoted to the updates about ongoing projects taking place in 10 countries. There was 0 update available. It looks like the most frequently updated channel is their Facebook page. Visiting later the site of ATCRI, I noticed that the French version still did not work. There was very little fresh and precise information and the items were not dated. What are we to think about this new aggressive multinational initiative? The most recent item on their FaceBook page was of August 15 (4 posts on FB). Problems?

Jeff Raikes: We need to hear from you

Once again, Jeff Raikes asks for honest feedback: We need to hear from you! But is he going to get it and does he listen when he receives honest but inconvenient news?

Tobacco Control in Africa: People, Politics and Politicies

Edited by Jeffrey Drope, this book (with a preface by Jeffrey's sister Jacqui) is a presentation of the ATSA project co-published by Anthem Press and IDRC. Available as hardcover via Amazon for a pricey $99. When clicking on the Amazon look inside function you can see some of the book content while it seems the whole content can be accessed and downloaded for free in a pdf format via the digital library of IDRC. Anthem Press mentions there is an e-book version but we could not find it. A French version is to be published by the Presses de l'Université Laval and IDRC under the title: La lutte contre le tabagisme en Afrique. 

Tobacco Control in Africa: People, Politics and Politicies, a personal opinion

In his foreword, Dr. Akinkugbe talks of a "magnus opus, a monumental work", while for Evan Blecher, it "sets new standards for tobacco control research on the continent".
Written by IDRC's grantees, published (paid for) by IDRC, this is an hymn to IDRC: self-inflated, self-congratulatory, self-serving, it conveniently ignores the many problems and failures linked to the ATSA program. Considering the amounts invested, the final result is incredibly small and of very limited use. A very inconvenient and unacceptable assessment for all those who were/are part of the IDRC system. The book is a PR smokescreen for a very defective and wasteful project.

Protest the United Dreams of Europe campaign initiated by BAT

It's an internet based public relations campaign: you can protest by posting your dream on their site, like I dream of a Europe and Africa and world without BAT and other tobacco companies. . Adocates have had an impact as BAT recognizes in this statement. Join the protest.

What about a Great African Smokeout?

Today is Great American Smokeout Day in the US, with a special video recorded by President Obama that you can watch online on YouTube. What about a Great African Smokeout? That would be agood opportunity to communicate and raise the awareness about the issues.

How to submit an access to information request to IDRC

How to submit an Access to Information or Privacy Act Request to IDRC

 

Requests for information may be made under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act. While procedures are similar, they are not the same. Learn more about submitting: 

• an access to information request
• a request for personal information

 

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Access to Information Ac
To make a request under the Access to Information Act, you may either submit your request on the IDRC Access to Information Request Form or you may write to us stating that your request is pursuant to the Access to Information Act. Your request should be forwarded, along with the CA$5.00 application fee payable to the International Development Research Centre, to the following address:

Legal and Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator
Office of the Secretary and General Counsel
International Development Research Centre
PO Box 8500
150 Kent Street
Ottawa ON  K1G 3H9

Please note

• An application fee of CA$5.00 payable to the International Development Research Centre is required before the processing of your request under the Access to Information Act can begin.
• To make an Access to Information request, you must either be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or have an address in Canada. Canadians living abroad will be required to provide proof of citizenship in order to receive the information they are seeking.
• If you are not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident and would like to submit a request to IDRC, you should to do so through a representative that is a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or someone who has an address in Canada.
•  Corporations, businesses, and organizations with a Canadian presence have the right to make an access to Information request.
•  Please note that an applicant may be charged additional search fees and/or preparation fees in regards to a request they have submitted under the Access to Information Act.

Download: Request Access to Information Act form

International Development Research Centre 
Lorraine Gareau 
Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator 
150 Kent Street 
P.O. Box 8500 
Ottawa , Ontario  K1P 0B2
Telephone: 613-696-2348   
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lgareau@idrc.ca

 

What transparency and accountability for foundations?

What transparency and accountability for foundations were issues discussed in this article in the Guardian.

The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids is looking for an Africa Program Officer

The ad is here. Apparently CTFK is also still looking for a program director for Africa. This position has now been offered for 8 months, since March 2011.

The answer from the European Commission about our request for information: the announced contract is not yet signed

I received yesterday an email from Mr Thomas Kirchner (see below the content). He explains that "this contract does not yet exist. It is currently under preparation and foreseen to be signed before the end of this year." Therefore there are no documents available. I remain interested in a detailed breakdown of the budget as what was provided raised a certain number of questions that have not been answered. As for an eventual commitment to detailed communication and transparency, the eventual requirements seem limited but one should wait until one can see the actual contract. Mr Kirchner concludes: "Within EuropeAid, Unit D4 (Education, Health, Research and Culture) is in charge of this contract with the WHO and will be available to assist you should you require further clarifications. The Head of Unit responsible is Elisabeth Feret."

An interesting radio program about tobacco control (in Australia)

I mention this program (mp3) from the Rear Vision series (transcript) I found about via the Global Tobacco Control Network group on Facebook. It's a discussion with Simon Chapman that can be of interest for African advocates as it describes the evolution of their situation and the various strategies used.