The global tobacco control movement has been one of an exciting movement with increased number of advocates each year ending. And just like those who kicked started the movement the new entrants have based their conviction on compassion and support for the truth. Significantly, however, the swelling numbers of tobacco control advocates are not to be found in Africa.
Africa remains the emerging market for the tobacco Industry with continuous siting of plants by the industry like the recent Phillip Morris’s interest in
Senegal and that of British American Tobacco (BAT) across African big countries.
It has become a case of scrambling for the partitioning of Africa by the tobacco industry, yet the number of tobacco control advocates and advocacies have remain significantly low compared to Asia, America and Europe.
What happens in these other regions for instance that they have had a s welling number of advocates? A little insight will help us on this side of the continent. Our colleagues in Europe,
America
and
Asia
have device a means where their young people are encouraged through capacity building to respond to the onslaught of tobacco industry on their health, environment, economy and others areas where tobacco affects lives. The Asia-Pacific Association for the Control of Tobacco (APACT) for instance has organized their conference every two years and in the
US
the National conference is an annual issue. But this gulps so much money someone would say. Yes! It does, but the underlining factor has been the motivation. Tobacco control conferences are more than keynote speeches, round table discussions, and break out sessions. Tobacco control conferences are not just tobacco control advocates talking to each other. Tobacco control conferences do not end when participants go home. Tobacco control conferences are more than the sum of their parts.
Then, what has happened to our African Conference barely two months
after? Whither goes the resolutions and all that happened at the
conference? What future for the tobacco control in
Africa
and perhaps where are we heading in this 21st century without strong national movements, regional movements and African movement as a whole? Now, we must begin to identify the kinds of people and allied organizations that can be most helpful in implementing national plans and galvanized effective national alliances, regional blocs and as whole strong African movement.
True, Africa needs to team up in the anti-tobacco campaigns. Just like the concerted efforts agains the scourge of HIV/AIDS yielded some good results in many parts of Africa, the drive against the effects of Tobacco needs to be boosted at all levels of the communities concerned. This way, good outcomes might be achieved.
True, it may be costly but it deserves some commitment and with time, it could be a successful campaign.
Thanx for your efforts in this noble pursuit!
Posted by: Sam Kiriaghe | March 08, 2007 at 06:10 AM