Tobacco Control in Africa - TCA

British American Tobacco in Sub Saharan Africa

A new website in development. I did not know they were present in Eritrea and so many other countries.

British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation funds solar panels to power water pump

The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation takes corporate responsibility seriously.
Via All Africa .com

High speed internet coming to Africa? How cellphones can empower African digital citizens

This article in Time Magazine explores the new solutions to improve internet access in Africa and make it cheaper. What do you think? How is your connection to the net? How much do you pay for it?

Have you considered getting a liliputer? or would you rather use a mobile phone like the mobile reporters of Voices of Africa? How can cellphones empower African digital citizens?

When Imperial Tobacco became number 2 in Sub-Saharan Africa

In April 2001 Imperial Tobacco bought 75% of Bolloré's Tobaccor. The balance was acquired in October 2004.
From Imperial Tobacco Website.

Botswana: A reader complains about the lack of enforcement of the smoking ban in public places

Source: Mmegi Online

Ghana: A call to prohibit the sale of cigarettes to minors

Ms Edith Wellington, the Focal Person for Tobacco Control at the Ghana Health Service (GHS) appeals to the government to hasten the approval of the bill banning the sale of cigarettes to minors.
Deputy Health Minister, Dr Gladys Ashietey, says the bill on cigarettes is still in the process of being passed into a law.
Source: Graphic Online

A useful service: feedmyinbox

You like a blog and you would like to automatically receive the new posts without having to go and visit the blog. Feedmyinbox allows you to receive the new posts directly into your email box :)
Of course you can also use feedblitz but I found feedmyinbox very quick and easy.

FCTC Reporting Instruments: African countries that have to produce them

It looks like about 20 African countries have to submit their reporting instrument about their implementation of the FCTC. They are (in chronological order):
Lesotho (the report was due in April 2007), Egypt (May 07), Djibouti (Nov 07), Niger (Nov 07), Equatorial Guinea (Dec 07), Cape Verde (Jan 08), Mali (Jan 08), Nigeria (Jan 08), RDC (Jan 08), Mauritania (Jan 08),
Benin (Feb 08), RCA (Feb 08), Togo (Feb 08), Burundi (Feb 08), Swaziland (April 08), Chad (April 08), Cameroon (May 08), Dao Tome (July 08), Algeria (Sept 08), Burkina (Oct 08).

Twisp: electronic "cigarette" launched in South Africa

Twisp is called an e-cigarette. It has been launched in South Africa as a "harm reduction" product. It is basically a nicotine delivery product without tobacco. The distributor says it helped him quit but it is not registered as a cessation device.

Read the controversy in The Times

In New York, the graphic health warnings also appear on matchbooks

Matchbooks carrying graphic health warnings are distributed in certain districts as explained in this article from the New York Times.

RDC: Mekako: savon ou cigarettes?

Dans son blog, Patrick Musavuli attire l'attention sur cette tentative d'utiliser le nom fort connu de la marque de savon Mekako pour vendre -frauduleusement- des cigarettes.

Michael Bloomberg about fighting tobacco wolrdwide

This contribution was published in Newsweek magazine.

Zimbabwe: Savanna Tobacco will continue to sponsor domestic football

The sponsorship that started in early 2008 (see below) will be maintained despite inflation:

"At the beginning of the year, Savanna pegged its sponsorship at $1 trillion. This has however, been eroded by hyper-inflation, meaning that currently the figure does not buy a loaf of bread.
But at a function at the company's production factory on Wednesday, the company's chairman Adam Molai told reporters that the sponsorship package will be reviewed to match the current monetary value.

Source: All Africa

World No Tobacco Day 2008: Pr Harry Seftel of South Africa

Pr. Harry Seftel has been actively involved in establishing the South African Council Against Smoking since 1976 and was the Chairperson ever since for 32 years continuously.  During this time he was campaigning against Smoking on Radio Talk shows, Television shows giving information on the hazards of smoking and the benefits of stopping. 

He is the recipient of the special Director General Award.

World No Tobacco Day 2008: Pr. Peter A. Odhiambo from Kenya

Pr. Peter A. Odhiambo (right on the picture) is given the award by Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, WHO regional Director for Africa. Peter Odhiambo is a Professor of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. He has been actively involved in tobacco control since for more than 30 years now. He is the founder member of the Kenya Cardiac Society an organization that mounted the initial advocacy for tobacco control in Kenya over 20 years ago.

World No Tobacco Day 2008: Mrs Bharathi Viswanathan of the National Committee for Tobacco Control of Seychelles

Mrs Bharathi Viswanathan is given the award by Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, WHO regional Director for Africa. She has been working at the Unit for Prevention and Control of Cardiovascular Diseases at the Department of Health since 1999. She has been actively involved in tobacco control programs in Seychelles for the past 8 years. 

Journée Mondiale Sans Tabac 2008: Dr Sinna Bolly, Présidente de l'AMALUTS de Mauritanie

Dr Sinna Bolly reçoit la récompense du Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, Directeur Régional de l'OMS pour l'Afrique. Dr Sinna Bolly est très active dans la lutte contre le tabac. En 1999, elle fut l’une des initiatrices et membre fondateur du réseau des ONGS antitabac: ROMATABAC.

World No Tobacco Day 2008: Mrs. Comfort Opoku-Ware:the Greater Accra Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB).

Mrs. Comfort Opoku-Ware is the Greater Accra Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB). She has been working with this organization for the past 23 years. Mrs. Opoku-Ware has been actively involved in tobacco control for about seven years. In her capacity as the  Regional Manager she has actively chaired and facilitated workshop and seminars with the Ghana Health Service and WHO to make public places smoke-free. Her particular interest in tobacco control/smoke free public places has allowed her to serve on WNTD planning committees.

Mrs. Comfort Opoku-Ware as a Regional Manager has also collaborated with the GHS and WHO to produce ”no smoking” signs for tables and walls for selected public places in Accra. She is currently discussing with her organization how to enforce the ban on smoking in Public places when the Ministry of Health and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hopefully announces the ban this year (2008).

World No Tobacco Day 2008: FOROYAA newspaper from Gambia

FOROYAA newpaper, `founded over two decades ago, is one of Gambia’s leading and widely-read newspapers renowned for its impartiality and professionalism. It is a close partner of WHO and the health sector in general being part of the association of health journalists.

World No Tobacco Day 2008: No Tobacco Awards Ceremony for the Afro Region

Memory Lane: Revisiting the All Africa Tobacco Control Conference in Harare in November 1993

From the British Medical Journal. The main arguments are still effective: like the negative impact of tobacco imports on the trade balance or deforestatation or the need for better data.

Mise en oeuvre de la nouvelle loi anti-tabac au Niger

SOS Tabagisme Niger, publie le communiqué de presse suivant.

Ghana: Vision for Alternative Development (VALD) urges the Governement to ban tobacco advertising

Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), an NGO, has called on the Ministry of Health and the Food and Drugs Board to, in line with the constitution of Ghana, design and implement a comprehensive policy to ensure a total "ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship" in the country.

Source: Public Agenda in Accra (via All Africa.com)

Cancer: Africa's silent killer

From this article in the UK's Guardian

Niger Cabinet passes smoking ban law

From the BBC... but we still have to find the official text.

Une initiative sur le cacao qui pourrait s'appliquer aussi au tabac?

Ici.

Abuja Declaration

This communiqué was issued at the end of the Africa regional strategy workshop on tobacco control organized by FCA in Abuja from september 4 to 6, 2008.

African NGOs call for tough measures on Tobacco

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.

Déclaration d'Abuja

Cette déclaration a été rédigée à l'issue de la réunion de la FCA qui 'sest tenue à Abuja du 4 au 6 septembre 2008. On remarquera l'annonce de la création d'une Alliance Africaine Contre le Tabac (ATCA).

Zimbabwe: Tobacco Farms in Ruins

Eight years after controversial land seizures, the country’s once-thriving industry continues to decline.
Source: Institute for War & Peace Reporting

La contrebande de cigarettes en Algérie

Les services des douanes ont passé des accords de coopération avec Philip Morris et BAT.
Via AllAfrica.com

FCA organizes Africa Regional Strategy Workshop on Tobacco Control in Abuja

The Africa Regional Strategy Workshop on Tobacco Control organized by the Framework Convention Alliance in Abuja was declared open by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar.

58th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Yaounde: 46 African Health Ministers against tobacco use.

Ministers of health for the WHO Afro Region, during the 58th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, reaffirmed their commitment to control tobacco use in the region.

See also Dr Margared Chan's speech. There was a statement about the need for cancer control but nothing specifically about tobacco (except within the final declaration?). There was a "side meeting" about tobacco control but no information about it. The same goes for the ceremony for the tobacco control awards.

What the Tobacco Reporter's John Luik thinks about Gates and Bloomberg

This editorial published in the Tobacco Reporter was written by Canadian philosopher John Luik.

Une étude de NCI sur le rôle des media dans la promotion et la réduction du tabagisme

Le document de synthèse est disponible en français (format pdf). In English here.

Getting ready for COP 3

Here are the FCTC preparatory documents already available (unfortunately only in pdf) for the preparation of COP 3 that wil ltake place in Durban (November 17-22).

Provisional Agenda  in english et ici en français

FCTC reports from African countries

See the list on the TFI site and consult the 7 reports available (unfortunately in pdf format)

Can Nollywood emulate Bollywood and produce local tobacco control campaigns?

This article about Bollywood's involvement in an upcoming tobacco control media campaign triggers the interrogation.