17TH WORLD CONFERENCE ON TOBACCO OR HEALTH
ANTI-SMOKING activists and experts from around the world who are gathering in Cape Town have reached consensus to “butt out” the scourge responsible for 7 million deaths globally.
And the diseases which can be linked directly to smoking, such as tuberculosis, respiratory infestation, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, are among the 10 leading causes of death in South Africa.
The Ministry of Health says these account for 60% of fatalities in this category.
More than 2 000 participants from 50 countries are attending the 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, which started yesterday and ends tomorrow, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre under the theme “Uniting the World for a Tobacco-Free Generation”.
By hosting the conference, South Africa is demonstrating its resolve to stamp out tobacco use and paving the way for a healthier, more productive populace.
South Africa is among the leading countries which have taken a strong stance against tobacco use, a decision that resulted in a 25% reduction in smoking among school-going youths between 1999 and 2011, while prevalence of smoking among the adult population dropped from as high as 33% in 1993 to under 19% in 2012.
Speaking during the official launch of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Secretariat Knowledge Hub on Tobacco Control and Illicit Trade, Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi described the conference as a platform that rekindles hope for the success of international efforts for tobacco control and for global stakeholders to share experiences, best practice and expectations in addressing the impact of tobacco use on public health and the attendant social-economic challenges.
He noted that the conference could not have come at a more opportune time than when more urgent action was needed at policy level to respond to what seems to be a reversal of the gains attained in the past decade.
The latest South Africa Demographic and Health Survey shows a rise in smoking among adults, putting it at 21%.
Corné van Walbeek, UCT School of Economics professor and principal investigator in the Economics of Tobacco Control Project, said participants were united under the common principles of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, an evidence-based treaty that proves that the international focus on curbing demand and supply of tobacco is working.
The treaty represents a milestone against the scourge of tobacco and 90% of countries are covered by it.
Most parties are engaged in progressive actions to strengthen national legislation and policies to meet their obligations under the treaty.
Van Walbeek noted that the conference is being held in Africa for the first time, 50 years after its inauguration in the US in 1967.
“This is a major milestone in that Africa will be the real battleground for tobacco control in the century to come,” he said.
“The reason being at the moment tobacco consumption in many Africa countries, excluding some major exceptions like South Africa, is relatively low. But populations are growing rapidly, more than in any continent; per capita income levels are growing significantly over time; and the tobacco industry has specifically targeted Africa for its market for the future.
“Many countries in Africa have relatively weak institutions. They are unable to fight against the very powerful marketing strategies of the tobacco industry to expand into Africa. They typically also do not have the technical expertise to implement high excise taxes.
“If we don’t watch out, Africa will follow a similar path to North America and Europe, where there is a massive increase in tobacco consumption leading to many deaths.”
Van Walbeek said a strong drive for the conference will be towards increasing the excise tax on tobacco products and strengthening excise tax structure to be more efficient and less prone to exploitation by the tobacco industry.
“In his speech, Dr Motsoaledi committed government to a number of anti-smoking interventions such as plain cigarette packaging; getting rid of smoking areas (abolishing the 25% of reserved smoking areas in public spaces); banning the display of cigarettes on shop counters; removing cigarette vending machines that enable the sale of cigarettes to minors; and more stringent policies on the minimum distance smokers can smoke at public entrances such as airport terminals,” he said.
Meanwhile, about 100 youths gathered on Tuesday for the Youth Pre-Conference ahead of the main event to share ideas, network and receive information to equip and inspire the next generation of tobacco control leaders.
Deputy Health Minister Dr Mathume Phaahla reiterated the country’s commitment to curb the number of young people being initiated into tobacco use.
“We aim to reach the ultimate goal of zero initiation for young people. South Africa has an obligation to ensure we have strong, evidence-based tobacco control interventions.”
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health Popo Maja said while there are no readily available recent statistics, the burden on the health sector and loss of income is huge, with an estimated 4.4 million people who smoke in South Africa.
“It is estimated that 2.2 million are children who are exposed to second-hand smoke. On average, a person who smokes spends R9 a day on cigarettes. It must be understood that health precedes the economy – the country needs healthy people to attain an economically viable society,” Maja said.