Tobacco Control in Africa - TCA

ACBF funding from the Gates Foundation: $14 million + (November 12 2018)

I had missed this info I just found on the Gates Foundation site (copy below). Those links are now (2021) useless. See below for the info.

Also see this ACBF video on Youtube (lots of blah, blah, no details)

Ethiopia drafts stringiest tobacco control laws

In a bid to prevent the public from a devastating health consequences attributed to tobacco products, the Ethiopian government is set to introduce a stringent law that will restrict the tobacco industry from having any interference and interaction with government officials mainly responsible for the adoption of public health policy and implementations.

Egypt: Launch of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control FCTC2030 project

The Health Ministry, in cooperation with the United Nations, launched in Cairo the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) 2030 project. This is to boost tobacco control efforts in the country.

GAMBIA: volunteers trained on tobacco monitoring

In Gambia, the African Network for Information and Action against Drugs (RAID) , recently trained over 20 of its volunteers on monitoring of the implementation of the 2016 Tobacco Control Act tools.RAID Gambia is a registered non-governmental organisation which champions a number of causes such as anti-smoking, substance abuse, illicit drugs trafficking, Aids / HIV, anti baby abandoning and teen pregnancy. The organisation was formed after the realisation that substance abuse and illegal drugs trafficking posed a detrimental effect on public health and the socio-economic structure.

Illicit cigarette brand top seller in South Africa

South Africa has become the first country in the world with an illegal cigarette brand as a top seller! Illegal cigarettes are preferred for their low prices in South Africa, with the cigarette brand RG retailing at the lowest price of 10 Rand. RG has overtaken all legal brands including the preffered cigarette brand in the country Peter Stuyvesant, giving South Africa the dubious honor of being the first country in the world with an illegal cigarette brand as its top seller.

Morocco’s Finance bill of 2019 to raise taxes on cigarettes

The finance committee to the House of Representatives has adopted 56 amendments on the 2019 Finance Bill, including a tax increase on shisha. The 2019 Finance Bill will increase the domestic consumption tax on certain cigarette brands.The tax increase will affect the most widely-consumed cigarettes on the market, Marlboro, and Marquise. Marlboro packs will be sold for MAD 40 instead of 33, and Marquise for MAD 21 instead of 19. Minister of Economy and Finance Mohamed Benchaaboun explained the tax hike in a press conference Monday at the ministry’s headquarters in Rabat.

Bloomberg tobacco control grants calls for 25th round of proposals

The Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use Grants Program is an important component of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use. With funds from Michael R. Bloomberg, through his charitable foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Grants Program is competitive and supports projects to develop and deliver high-impact evidence-based tobacco control interventions. The Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use places a priority on countries with the highest prevalence of tobacco use. Round 25 is an open grant round, so is open to any low or middle-income country. Organizations are invited to submit proposals, with an early December 2018 deadline.

KETCA holds a tobacco control forum at Nazarene University

The kenya tobacco control alliance (KETCA) held a student centered tobacco control forum earlier this week. The purpose for the forum that brought students from both public and private universities was to sensitize the students on the dangers of tobacco use, to gain support for the enforcement of shisha ban and ultimately, to bring together students to deliberate on how they can be meaningfully engaged in the fight against tobacco.

Lesotho busts illicit South African cigarettes worth 1 Million Rand

Lesotho Revenue Authority (LRA) has released a statement confirming the confiscation of 380,000 illicit cigarettes at the Maseru Bridge on Sunday night. Confiscation of the cigarettes forms part of the Authority’s routine checks on compliance of tobacco and tobacco products in Lesotho. This is the biggest single bust on illicit cigarettes in Lesotho in the past five years. The cigarettes were worth just over a million Loti, which is a similar amount in South African rands.

Africa Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) elects two new board members

 Africa Tobacco Control Alliance , which is a Pan-African civil society network of more than 120 civil society organizations dedicated to preventing an epidemic of tobacco use on the African continent, recently elected 2 new board members. In a board election held last month, ATCA elected  Emma Wanyonyi, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of International institute of legislative affairs, based in Kenya. Also elected on to the board is Mr. Djibril Welle of Senegal.

Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance (KETCA) calls for increased taxes

The chairman for Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance , Mr. Joel Shunza Gitali in a recent interview on public television, called for an increase in tobacco taxes by Government. He argues that an increase in taxes will add revenue to the Government ex-checker and saves lives as well. KETCA have been spearheading this campaign since 2008.

Tobacco taxation workshop in Cape Town

The GCRF Tobacco Control Capacity Programme has held a one week workshop of expert sessions to support research fellows with their tobacco control taxation plans. Among topics discussed were illicit trade and tobacco taxation, in line with the framework convention on tobacco control guidelines.

Project on Tobacco Tax Advocacy Underway in Nigeria

The Civil Society Legislative Society Advocacy Center (CISLAC) is collaborating with Tax Justice Network Africa to create awareness on tobacco Tax Advocacy in Nigeria. The project is themed "supporting effective tobacco control through responsive tax  systems in Nigeria."

Are companies using study tours to promote smoking?

ATCA tweets about this article in New Vision (Uganda) by Jonathan Driliga. I don't know about promoting smoking but it looks like this factory is polluting the environment and its neighbors :(

Cameroon's government plans to increase taxes and install graphic warnings

Cameroon’s government has made public its plans geared at ensuring an increase in taxes on tobacco products in the country.

This disclosure was made in the past month in the capital, Yaounde, by the Technical Adviser in the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Samuel Kingue, during a belated ceremony to mark the 2018 World No Tobacco Day. Dr. Kingue, who is also the President of Cameroon Cardiac Society, noted that the day is observed worldwide on every May 31 but for some technical reason, the commemoration in Cameroon was postponed.

Tobacco Control capacity building program launched in Kampala ,Uganda

On the 24^th October 2018, a high-level stakeholder engagement meeting was held at the Kampala Golden Tulip Hotel, where GCRF tobacco control capacity program and the Center for Tobacco control in Africa (CTCA) launched the tobacco control capacity-building programme (TCCP) in Uganda.

Ghana to get pictorial warnings on cigarette packs from November 1

From November 1st, 2018, all tobacco products will bear pictorial warnings on both sides. This announcement was made by Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority C.E.O, Mrs. Delese Darko. The introduction of pictorial warnings on cigarette packs is in line with the fulfillment of section 10 of Ghana's Tobacco Control Regulations, 2016 (L. I. 2247) and also seeks to fulfill their obligation as a party to the  Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC).

Who attended COP8 in Geneva? At what cost? Does anybody care?

Want to know who represented your country during the COP8 meetings in Geneva? Have a look at the list. Maybe you'll be surprised by the size of some delegations, wondering what the cost has been in travel and hospitality. A few examples below. Some do live in Geneva as they work for the Permanent Mission there but not all. Are so many delegates really necessary? Were there more than 130 people representing FCA?(pages 36, 37) as "observers'?

FCA bulletins from COP 8

Find below the links to the daily bulletins produced by FCA during COP8 (pdf format) with a few comments from my part. Thanks a lot to FCA for communicating about what happened.

Welcome to Joseph Magero as a guest author of this blog

While I am still very concerned about what happens in Africa, I have been unable to devote as much time and attention that I think is needed so I have happily accepted Joseph's offer to contribute by writing posts that he would publish as a guest author on Tobacco Control in Africa. Welcome Joseph.
Philippe
PS: In the past I offered to many African advocates the possibility to open their own blog but I am also open to sharing TCA.

A rendez-vous with Joseph Magero

I initially posted this cyber interview on my THR-rendezvous blog. It also belongs here.

Joseph Magero writes a blog called Tobacco Harm Reduction and he is active on Twitter.
Thank you, Joseph, for accepting our rendez-vous.

May I first ask you to introduce yourself by giving us a brief personal background about your journey in tobacco control and tobacco harm reduction?

Joseph Magero: I am a tobacco harm-reduction advocate based in Kenya.

"AFRO region mulls tobacco industry interference and transparency of COP8 delegations"

From the FCA website. Not sure what that means as no details are provided. 

Who will get funded by CTFK in 2018?

We got a look in May at the ongoing grants awarded by CTFK and most of them were going to end in mid-2018 or earlier (see below). We had missed a grant awarded to Chad's Health Ministry (also see below with no $ amount declared). What's next for all those groups and projects? What happened to the STOP project?

Who will get funded by CTFK in 2018?

We got a look in May at the ongoing grants awarded by CTFK and most of them were going to end in mid-2018 or earlier (see below). We had missed a grant awarded to Chad's Health Ministry (also see below with no $ amount declared). What's next for all those groups and projects?

WHO's World No Tobacco Day Awardees for 2018

From the Tobacco Free Initiative's  site.

African Region awardees

• Professor Fastone Mathew Goma, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Zambia
• Mme Likibi-Boho Rosalie, Point Focal National de lutte antitabac, Ministère de la Santé et de la Population, Congo
• Dr Nenodji Mabiro, Coordinatrice du Programme National de lutte contre le tabac, l’alcool et les drogues Ministère de la Santé Publique, Tchad (the new site is apparently not installed yet)
• Dr Désiré Habonimana, Maitre Assistant a la Faculté de Médecine, Université de Burundi et Directeur Exécutive de Health Healing Network Burundi
• Mrs Charity Aienobe-Asekharen, Health Promotion Education & Community Development Initiative, Nigeria
• Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Republic of the Gambia

Grants awarded by CTFK in 2017-2018

I revisited the CTFK's site where there is now a clear page about their Africa programs. Unfortunately it's not complete. But the easiest way is to copy the list posted under the map (see below). Here is a summary of the grants awarded to 11 countries (some target several countries, like ATCA #7) for a total of about $1,7 million. Thank you to Bernie Burrola for sharing the info :)

1. Botswana:  Antitobacco network: $ 64,478   (7/1/16-3/31/18)
2. Burkina Faso: AFRIQUE CONTRE LE TABAC (ACONTA): $82,430.00
(10/15/16-6/14/18) 
3. Cameroon: Coalition for TC: $100,000.00    (7/1/17-6/30/18)
4. DRC: ACCT : $92,000.    (3/1/17-1/31/18)
5. Ethiopia: HEALTH, DEVELOPMENT AND ANTI-MALARIA: $82,080.00 (11/15/17-7/14/18)
6. Ethiopia: ATHIWOS WONDU-YEETHIOPIA CANCER SOCIETY: $82,080.00  (4/1/17 3/31/18) 
7. Kenya:  Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance:  $61,880.00   (1/15/18-7/14/18)
8. Kenya: Tobacco Control Board:  $77,880.00  (7/1/17-6/30/18)
9. Kenya: Institute Legislative Affairs:  $131,315.00   (3/15/16-4/14/18)
10. Niger: SOS Tabagisme : $52,415.00  (9/15/17-9/14/18)
11. Nigeria: ERDFN: $93,130.00   (11/15/17-7/14/18)
12. Senegal: Association Prevenir:  $115,250.00  (2/1/18-1/31/19)
13. Togo: ATCA : $250,000.00   (7/15/17-1/14/19)
14. Togo: ANCE: $107,430.00   (2/1/17-6/30/18)
15. Uganda: Consumers:  $102,560.00  (7/1/17-6/30/18)
16. Uganda: CEHURD:  $65,060.00  (6/15/17-6/14/18)
17. Uganda: UHCA:  $117,060.00  (5/15/17-5/14/18)

New antitobacco film in Ghana, produced by the Gates Foundation

From Ghana Web, but without much details about the plot. It seems the SKY girls project started in Botswana with a Facebook account. More about it's beginning in 2014  in Botswana and to it's launch in Ghana in 2017, thanks to a search via Google. I found nothing about it's use in Uganda. It is apparently funded by the Gates Foundation but no information is available on the Foundation's site that remains with very little detailed content. Maybe the film could be available on line?

World No Tobacco Day 2018: Statement by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

 

 

On YouTube.

ATCA was looking for a 3 year strategic plan (2018-2020). Did they find it?

The following information was posted on the ATCA's website under 'opportunities". The deadline to submit a plan was April 30.

The African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) is seeking offers for consultancy services to develop a 3-year Strategic Plan on tobacco control and related issues.

Ghana plans to ban shisha and e-cigs while taxes on cigarettes remain very low and there is no budget for enforcement

As reported in this post (from Vaping360.com) and this article. The assertion that e-cigs are more dangerous than combustibles goes counter to the position of Public Health in the UK. The details of the research conducted by the Ghana Health Service have not been released (that we know). At the same time there is apparently no budget to enforce the existing tobacco laws and the existing taxes are very low. The prevalence still appears relatively low compared to other countries,like its neighbors Ivory Coast, Togo, Burkina, see below the chart about CEDEAO

Key questions and answers about e-cigs from Public Health England

Pr Ann McNeill explains.  Also on YouTube.

Derek Yach about the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World

Published in the BMJ-Opinion

World No Tobacco Day 2018: Tobacco and Heart Disease

Read the announcement on the WHO site. Until March 9 to propose candidates for the awards.

East and Southern Africa Harm Reduction Reporters Initiative workshop in Kenya in November 2017

The most complete coverage on the 'conference' is in this article of the News of Rwanda. A very similar meeting had been organized in May 2017 in Bamako (Mali), along World No Tobacco Day for the French speaking journalists. In the English articles about the workshop in Kenya I could not find a reference to the fact the event was sponsored by Philip Morris International. Even this one is not that clear, the headline not being consistent with the content.

FSFW: AN OPEN LETTER ON THE FOUNDATION’S INDEPENDENCE AND GOVERNANCE

This is an open letter sent by the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World president Dr. Derek Yach, on January 9, 2018, to Prof. David B. Abrams et. al in response to their letter addressed to Dr. Yach and the Foundation on November 16, 2017, in regards to funding, governance and independence.

Looking at the proposed budget for FCTC for 2018-2019

Thank you to the FCA for presenting this information about the FCTC proposed budget for 2018-2019.

About the situation in Ethiopia

An opinion piece published in Addis Fortune by public health lawyer Derejes Shimeles. The problem with the privatization and smuggling data provided by the industry.

The cost of one pack of Marlboro in Africa (in Euros)

This French website provides the price per country in 2018.

See below. Is it accurate?

A study of tobacco farmers in Zambia, Kenya and Malawi

Here.

Links to the factsheets for the most recent GATS done by CDC in Africa

GATS Nigeria 2012

 

GATS Cameroon 2013

 

GATS Uganda 2013

 

GATS Kenya 2014

 

GATS Senegal 2015

 

GATS Ethiopia 2016

 

Philip Morris New Year wishes (in the UK)

Details here. The website indicated is only accessible in the UK.