Zambia set to fight abuse of tobacco-expert

ZAMBIA is moving forward to address several health concerns to reduce effects of non-communicable diseases as a result of abuse of tobacco and its products, says Ministry of Health chief mental health office tobacco control focal point person John Mayeya. Mr Mayeya said it was for that reason that Zambia had embarked on tobacco control courses with interventions from various stakeholders, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) investment case models. He further said that Zambia had developed a present and forward looking passage of Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhalants Control Bill 2018 aimed at addressing several health concerns related to consumption of tobacco. He said the bill was still undergoing stakeholders consultation, adding that the government approach and health policy models were applied in the implementation of the framework to give priority that protected people’s health. The health expert was giving an update on Zambia during the 8th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP8) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in Geneva. He said the nation would be informed in due course on some of the developments and progressive processes regarding tobacco control in Zambia. The countries affiliated to a public health treaty, including Zambia were meeting, to review the progress in reducing tobacco use and to set up strategies for addressing the emergence of new tobacco products and tobacco industry interference in tobacco control efforts. This is with a view to defining a roadmap for strengthening and expanding the scope of the landmark global health treaty. The COP8 discussions bring together delegations from 137 countries, along with representatives of United Nations agencies, other intergovernmental organizations and civil society. And World Health Organisation (WHO) director general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has hailed the tobacco control treaty as one of the greatest public health achievements of the last 20 years. “Since it came into force 13 years ago, the FCTC remains one of the world’s most powerful tools for promoting public health. Through the implementation of this treaty, we are making great progress, and we are saving lives,” he said. Dr Tedros noted that as a result of the treaty, countries have passed comprehensive tobacco control laws, including increased taxes on tobacco, establishment of smoke-free spaces, and requirements for large graphic health warnings and plain packaging of tobacco products. FCTC was an international convention that makes it obligatory on signatory countries to take prescribed tobacco control measures to reduce non communicable diseases.