The African Regional Meeting on Tobacco Control Building
for Africa, is underway in Accra to brainstorm on strategies to curb
the about 5.4 million global annual deaths related to tobacco.
Source: ModernGhana.com 26 June 2008, Accra.
Accra, June 26, GNA- The African Regional Meeting on Tobacco Control Building for Africa, is underway in Accra to brainstorm on strategies to curb the about 5.4 million global annual deaths related to tobacco. Source: ModernGhana.com
54 Million People Killed By Tobacco Annually.
Accra, June 26, GNA- African Regional Meeting on Tobacco Control Building for Africa, is underway in Accra to brainstorm on strategies to curb the about 5.4 million global annual deaths related to tobacco.
The participants, which comprise 17 African countries and representatives from the US and Switzerland would be spending the next two days to discuss the tactics to reverse the findings of a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the death toll per year would rise to eight million by 2030 with 80 per cent of the victims from Third World countries.
The consultation, which is a follow-up of a similar meeting in Geneva in February this year, would use the 2008 WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, as a reference point to identify the strengths and weaknesses of tobacco control in the Region.
The meeting, which was opened by Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama
on Thursday would also deliberate on the first public health treaty of
the WHO dubbed: “Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)”, which
has been ratified by over 150 countries committed to taking effective
action against
the use of tobacco.
Vice President Mahama noted that, the sheer scale of tobacco impact
on the global disease burden is often not appreciated fully. He said as
at 23 May 2008, a total of 157 countries and parties to the
WHO had either ratified or acceded to the FCTC.
“Unfortunately, Africa's capacity to speak and act as one body for the implementation of the treaty has been weak. The FCTC process provided funds and a framework for African countries to get together but it seems the Continent is at risk of loosing momentum.”
Vice President Mahama said little political awareness about the economic cost of tobacco use and the porous borders that exacerbate the trans-national nature of tobacco epidemic were some of the challenges facing Africa.
“It is gratifying to note that in November 2008, the WHO African
Region would host the third Conference Parties in South Africa to
strengthen the political momentum on tobacco control and the FCTC in
the Region.”
Mr. Abraham Odom, Deputy Minister of Health described the tobacco
threat as a man-made profit driven epidemic that could be tackled
through global collaboration.
He called for urgent efficient networking system to ensure the co-ordination of tobacco strategies, plans and programmes among health professionals, government structures, private companies, non-governmental organisations and other influential groups.
Dr Elias Sory, Director- General of the Ghana Health Service, said
although Ghana was among the first countries to ratify the Convention
it lacks the national plan and law to implement it.
He observed that, one out of five youth in Africa between 13 and 15 years are already using tobacco products.
“WHO estimates that the highest increase in deaths from
non-communicable diseases over the next 10 years would occur in
Africa,” he said, explaining that 27 per cent of such cases would be
due to tobacco use.
Dr. Sory said 36 out of 46 member countries had ratified the framework to check the public use of tobacco.
Dr Joaquim Saweka, WHO Representative in Ghana said Africa was establishing itself as a major player in tobacco control and advocated the ban of all adverts on tobacco products.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Director of Non Communicable Disease Control of the WHO in Africa, expressed concern about the level of exposure of tobacco to passive smokers, which, she said, exposed over 50 per cent of young people to health risks.
She observed that Africa is now a new market for the tobacco industry and called for efforts to fight it.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of about 10 different forms of cancer that affects the lung, pancreas, stomach and the bladder.
Tobacco also accounts for heart diseases, stroke, periodontitis, asthma, infertility and other forms of respiratory ailments.
The WHO says 100 million people died from tobacco use in the 20th century and estimated that one billion people could die this century.
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Another article:
Source: www.gbcghana.com
27 June, 2008
Health experts discuss measures to tobacco control in Africa
An expert in Tobacco Control in Africa, at the Dr. Metshidiso Moeti says though there has been political commitments in implementing conventions on Tobacco Control on the continent there still remains a lot more to be done. She noted that there is the need to accelerate the peer of strengthening the response to tobacco control, to guarantee the health of the people.
Dr. Moeti who is the W.H.O. Director for Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases in Africa was speaking in an interview with Radio Ghana, at a Regional Consultative Meeting in Accra.
Dr. Moeti observed that challenges in tobacco control on the continent concludes improving technical support, adoption of base practices, experiences by signatory countries to the tobacco convention and funding as well as public information and dissemination.
She noted that the good news is that even though Africa, faces a
challenge in tobacco control, there is a great deal of opportunity to
improve measures, as compared to the situation in Asia. Participants
from over thirty Anglophone and Francophone countries at the end of the
meeting are expected to develop a framework for effective tobacco
control in Africa.
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