Rwanda's health ministry has vowed to take serious measures against tobacco advertisement in the country.
The ministry according to the director of Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) seeks to effect a total ban on advertising and promoting tobacco.
Source: All Africa and East African Business Week
Rwanda: Country Moves to Check Tobacco Advertising - allAfrica
East African Business Week (Kampala)
July 2, 2007
Bosco Hitimana
Kigali
Rwanda's health ministry has vowed to take serious measures against tobacco advertisement in the country.
The ministry according to the director of Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) seeks to effect a total ban on advertising and promoting tobacco.
Speaking at this year's ,World No Tobacco' day at Center Iwacu Kabusunzu in Kigali Mr. Bonaventure Nzeyimana said the ban will start with advertisements in newspapers, radios, television, streets, markets, shops and vehicles that distribute tobacco and its products in the country.
This, he said, is based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) framework convention on tobacco control that Rwanda ratified and is obliged to implement.
Article 14 prohibits any form of advertisements, promotions and sponsorships of tobacco and its products.
The ministry is soon to post several road advertisements showing the dangers of smoking against human lives and has trained several healthcare professionals for the campaign.
According to the WHO country representative, Mr. D.V. Nsue Milang, tobacco is the second killer in the world.
Globally, figures show that about 1billion people smoke. 250 million women smoke and 50% of them live in developing nations. About 40% of youth smoke.
In 2002, about 44,000 people living in the developing nations had been killed by tobacco. In 2030, 7 million people will have died of tobacco in the world. About 50% of people who die of tobacco effects are non smokers.
Rwanda, with no official figures on smoking is partnering with WHO to carry out a survey on risk factors related to tobacco smoking at a cost of Rfw50 million (US$90,000).
More broadly, a mini survey that was carried out in 2004 in secondary schools showed that 24% of students in those schools used to smoke.
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