Tobacco Control in Africa - TCA

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?

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

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.

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.

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)

Niger Cabinet passes smoking ban law

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

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.

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

Anti-tobacco team visiting Accra

Advocates from Canada and Nigeria visited Accra to provide support for tobacco control.

American Cancer Society Helps Build the Case for Healthy Public Policies on Noncommunicable Diseases in Africa

Participants at IUHPE meeting in Bagamoyo, Tanzania

From July 30-August 1 in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, the American Cancer Society participated in a first-ever meeting of African government health officials and representatives of health organizations and institutions from around the world to address public policies on noncommunicable diseases in Africa.

Source: ACS blog

PR from the Tanzania Cigarette Company, a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco

Focusing on new curing barns and supporting reforestation. How much is true and effective?
Source: AllAfrica

Members of Parliament discuss a smoking ban in Sierra Leone

The discussion took place during the debate on the new National Drug Control Act. Nothing concrete got out of it but it raises awareness about the issue and puts it on the radar screen (maybe). It also identifies potential supporters.
Source: Awoko

Entrée en vigueur de la nouvelle loi anti-tabac au Niger

Ci-dessous le communiqué de SOS Tabagisme Niger.

Gambia youth network against Tabacco

From the Gambia Observer

BAT launches a youth smoking "prevention" campaign in Zambia while the Government considers smoke-free public places

Zambia is considering smoke-free public and congratulating BAT for organizing a campaign intending to incite youth under 18 not to smoke.
Source: AllAfrica , Times of Zambia

BAT profits in Africa up 8 per cent from April to June

The overall growth in profits for BAT was 14%, 16% for the first half of 2008.
Source: The Telegraph

BAT in Africa

BAT blocks in court the implementation of the new tobacco control Act in Kenya

The high court in Nairobi has suspended the new law after an application by 2 firms Mastermind Tobacco and multinational British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya Limited until the matter is heard and determined, in a suit in which the attorney general and the public health ministry are named as defendants.

Source:Maina Waruru in Nairobi for Africanews

Maroc: Fumer dans un café est désormais interdit par la loi marocaine

Les parlementaires renforcent les dispositions légales en matière de lutte contre le tabagisme en adoptant une nouvelle loi. Ils comblent ainsi le vide juridique et remédient à l’absence de sanctions en la matière.

Source: Aujourd'hui Le Maroc

Réunion de concertation des acteurs Francophones en matière de lutte Contre le tabac à Niamey, 18-19 Juillet 2008

Signalée par Djibril sur son blog et informations transmises par Inoussa Saouna.

Au sujet d'une réunion précédente à Ouagadougou en 2007.

Child labour and trafficking in Malawi

From this article.
Source: Nyasa Times

Le Maroc bientôt doté d’une loi interdisant le tabagisme public

Le Sénat marocain est en train de revoir une loi interdisant le tabac dans les lieux publics ainsi que la vente des cigarettes aux mineurs de moins de 18 ans.
Source: Magharebia

The best interview -so far- of Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg about their tobacco control efforts

It is from the BBC. But in fact I just found out on the Bloomberg's site that most of the press conference is now posted on  YouTube. The very good news is that it is cut in short segments so you can choose the one you -eventually- want to watch. Here is another good interview, with Charlie Rose.
 

A blogging experience in Nairobi

From Advocacy Net this project.

Uganda tobacco farmers win suit against BAT

BRITISH American Tobacco Uganda (BATU) has been ordered to pay over sh3b to tobacco farmers as compensation for failure to buy their crop.
As found on the blog of Jackie Tumwine :)

Michael Bloomberg et Bill Gates investissent 375 millions de dollars dans la lutte mondiale antitabac

Ci-dessous le communiqué de presse publié conjointement par les fondations Gates et Bloomberg.

Ici l'article dans Ouest France.

Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates Join Forces to Combat Global Tobacco Epidemic

Bloomberg's Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, which was established in 2005 and includes a $125 million commitment, will be extended with a new $250 million, four-year commitment. This brings Bloomberg's total commitment to date to more than $375 million.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it will invest $125 million over five years to fight the tobacco epidemic, including a $24 million grant to the Bloomberg Initiative. In addition to the grant to Bloomberg, the Gates Foundation will support complementary efforts to reduce high rates of tobacco use in countries such as China and India, as well as to help prevent the tobacco epidemic from taking root in Africa.

Photo courtesy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation / Federico Rodriguez Caldentey

Nigeria: teens sell cigarettes to survive

What alternative do they have?
The article was initially published in the Daily Trust (Abuja) but can be found on line via All Africa. com

Africa's children and tobacco

The BBC 2 program will be aired on BBC World on July 19th and 20th.

Africa on line: waiting for the web?

This is an article from the New York Times about the situation in Rwanda as far as high speed connections are concerned. Tell us about your situation: do you have access to high speed internet? How expensive is it?

What happened at the WHO Regional Consultative Meeting in Accra?

Participants from over thirty Anglophone and Francophone countries were meeting to discuss a strategy for tobacco control in Africa but where are the reports about it? We found (for now) only this snipet.

Source: Ghana Broadcasting Corporation

Susie De Larosière-Mbouangouore Limbepe parle de l'IMPACT, 4 ans après sa création

Cet entretien réalisé par Isabel Somsert avec la Présidente de l’Initiative de mobilisation panafricaine pour le contrôle du tabac (I.M.P.A.C.T.) a été publié sur le blog Santé en Afrique.

Kenya: The new Tobacco Control Act becomes effective

Effective July 8, smoking is now prohibited in all public places such as offices and workplaces, court and public buildings, factories, cinema halls, theatres, video houses, disco halls, hospitals and other health institutions.
Source: Daily Nation, Nairobi