A group of tobacco control advocates from 22 African countries meeting in Abuja have called on African delegation attending the WHO conference of the parties to the FCTC holding in Durban south Africa this November to adopt the strongest possible guidelines on Articles 5.3 11, and 13 of the FCTC.
“Its effect is devastating on health, economy and environment of our continent’, said the communiqué”.
Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco control ensures Protection of public health policies with respect to tobacco control from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry.
It states that, “In setting an implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, parties shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interest of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law”
Article 11 of the convention which describes packaging and labeling of tobacco products states that tobacco products packaging and labeling do not promote a tobacco product by any means that are false, misleading, deceptive or likely to create an erroneous impression about its health effects among others.
Article 13 makes case for a comprehensive ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship which would reduce the consumption of tobacco products among others.
The group also claimed there is a switch of the marketing strategies of the tobacco industry from the more informed regions of the world to the African continent and therefore urged all African governments, who have not ratified the FCTC to do so immediately and that those who have ratified the treaty hasten actions to domesticate the treaty as any waste of time is recipe for avoidable suffering and tobacco-related deaths.
In a renewed effort, the group also endorsed African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) as an umbrella body to harmonize tobacco control efforts of non-governmental organization in Africa.
Comments