1st African Conference on Tobacco or Health- lessons and resolutions

So what happened in Casablanca?

A question on the lips of many African tobacco control advocates who missed this first African Conference on Tobacco or Health held in Casablanca, Morocco, 7-10 December, 2006.

The Casablanca conference in itself was historic-it was the first continent-wide meeting that brought together tobacco control advocates from French-speaking Africa and those from English-speaking Africa. The conference was organized and hosted by AMAPES STOP TABAC whose bold initiative is commended. The conference was graced by several international tobacco control advocates from outside Africa.  

Presentations were rich and fell under the following topics- smoking behaviour trends, tobacco and communicable diseases, tobacco related diseases, addiction, cessation, industry behaviour, tobacco cultivation and manufacturing, regulation, smoke-free environments, Corporate Social Responsibility, women and smoking, tobacco taxation, tobacco and poverty, NGOs and tobacco control, tobacco control advocacy and FCTC.

One point that resonated in numerous conference presentations and discussions was the importance of regional and international collaboration and cooperation among tobacco control advocates.

“There is strength in diversity…Building coalitions and partnerships help avoid duplication of effort, increases geographical reach and multiplies resources.” Dr. Yussuf Saloojee, ‘Strengthening African Coalitions Against Tobacco’.

Although the conference registered 300 participants from 29 countries, there have been expressions of concern about the relatively small representation of African delegates, particularly from English speaking Africa.

Lessons drawn from the Casablanca conference that the organizers of the next African Conference on Tobacco or Health (Tanzania or Senegal) might want to consider:

1. Give timely and wide publicity of the event among tobacco control advocates in Africa as well as outside Africa.
2. Ensure representative participation of tobacco control advocates from all regions of Africa in the conference (attendees, organization and scientific committee members, chairs, presenters). Scholarship/ sponsorship opportunities (e.g travel grants) should be available for tobacco control advocates from all African regions. Visa assistance should be given where necessary.
3. Both scientific and non scientific aspects of tobacco control should be equally covered at the conference.
4. Translation/ interpretation services should be available in all sessions including workshops and seminars.
5. The meeting venue including dining halls and lobbies must be 100% smoke-free.

Below is the conference resolution

Casablanca Declaration on tobacco control

Concerned by the increasing death, disease, social, economic and environmental harms resulting from tobacco use
Alarmed by the role of tobacco use in increasing the burden of infectious diseases, notably tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and pneumonia, thus imposed a double burden on our societies
Troubled by continuous efforts of the tobacco industry to aggressively market its product and to undermine tobacco control policies in Africa
Recognising that tobacco control must include all forms of tobacco use including narghile and smokeless tobacco
Recognising that tobacco use contributes to poverty and destroys our efforts at development
Recognising that no individual, family, organization or state can alone confront this epidemic

The delegates of the 1st African conference on tobacco or health hereby:
1. Call upon governments to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC, WHO) and to enact and enforce legislation in conformity with its articles
2. Call upon all regional, sub-regional and continental organizations to include tobacco control policies in their charters
3. Reaffirm the importance of continuing political support from the African region for the conference of the parties of the FCTC
4. Call upon NGOs to develop broad multisectorial coalitions to sensitise the public of the importance of tobacco control, and to lobby and work with governments
5. Recommend that all Africa conference’s delegates from both North and Sub-Saharan Africa should be invited, continue at regular intervals following this first conference. The conferences should include translations into major international languages, and meeting venues should obviously be declared smoke-free
6. Call upon governments to recognize that tobacco growing does not have a viable long term future and does not contribute to sustainable development. Governments should therefore not encourage new tobacco growing projects
7. Urge governments to protect tobacco policies from undue influence by the tobacco industry and reject industry proposals for tobacco control
8. Call upon young people to protect themselves from tobacco and refuse to be exploited by the tobacco industry, and adults to be exemplary role models
9. Call on the international community to facilitate the provision of technical, legal, financial and other support
10. Call upon all participants to urgently disseminate and promote these recommendations in their daily work

Adopted at Casablanca, Morocco on Saturday 9 December 2006
Participating members from 29 countries

Links:
Click here for picture and declaration in English and French: