The Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa (CTCA) supports the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s for a 2 days’ workshop on the Article 5.3 of the FCTC at the Khamsys Resort in Bijilo from Monday 24th-25 October 2016.
Attended by officials from WHO, the ministry of Health, Justice, Foreign affairs, Finance, RAID-The Gambia, GRA, Association of and Health Journalist-The Gambia, Chiefs, NSGA etc.
This workshop is aimed at drafting a mechanism that will help to cope the pressure of the tobacco industry and related issue to protect public health interest and commercial interest.
Declaring the workshop opened by the Director of Health Education and Promotion Mr. Modou Njai expressed appreciation towards the government for creating the platform to work will CTCA to better raise awareness of the tobacco bills and related regulations, because many people did not know or understands the about the policies.
Mr. Njai noted that the overall objectives of this workshop is to create awareness about Article 5.3 of the FCTC and the roles of various government technocrats in guarding public health policies against tobacco industry interference, to develop and adapt an appropriate code of conduct for the purpose of tobacco control implementation. And the adoption of country implementation plans/mechanisms compliant with Article 5.3 of FCTC.
He remind people that the tobacco industry is a wealth firm that will always stand to defend its interest in all countries worldwide and is always difficult to handle and this workshop will greatly help to advocate for the enactment of the tobacco bill and legislation, ensure more efforts to tobacco control and reflect on the continuous fight against tobacco control.
In his presentation, Madam Jennifer Kalule Musamba the CTCA Technical Advisor Communication & Advocacy dilated on the formation of CTCA was established in July, 2011 to support African governments to formulate and implement evidence based tobacco control policies and strategies as guided by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to curb the growing epidemic.
The centre derived its funding from the Bill and Melinda gates Foundation and the WHO with the vision of the centre as to a sustainable leading centre of excellence in empowering and vacillating tobacco to achieve a tobacco free Africa.
She highlighted that over the years CTCA achieved policy advocacy in many country especially the Tobacco Control Act in Uganda, Tobacco control policy in Uganda, Influencing tobacco tax increase in Uganda, Tobacco Control policy in Mauritania, Tobacco control bill in Mauritania, development of pictorial health warning in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda, and finally Supporting the tobacco Control Bill in The Gambia.
She also explained that the centre has areas of focus in the next 5 years which will touched key areas ranging from Information, Education and communication to enhance public compliance, FCTC articles on pictorial warning from tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS), Ban tobacco selling to minors and by minors, support alternative livelihood programmes, Support capacity building to Ministry of Health, Media and line government sects, support the development of regulations and implementation of comprehensive smoke free environment and so on.
Omar Badjie NCD Focal person Ministry of Health and Social welfare explained that over 6 million died as a result of tobacco yearly which is alarming and needed urgent steps to minimize it, and about 600 000 people also died due to exposure or second hand smoking in the home or at work which resulted every 6 second somebody died.
He mentioned that the world will lose a projected figure of 8 million people in 2030 of which 80% of it will be in low income countries which The Gambia is part of. He urged government, philanthropist, and individuals to increase the level of advocacy for a tobacco free world.
Omar cited various surveys that indicated the magnitude of the problem face especially in the Global Tobacco Youth Survey which indicates that 24.5% of children aged 13-15 smoke cigarette in which 28.6% are boys and 20.3% are girls which is a serious threat to our health system.
He explained that in the Gambia an average Gambian smoke 10sticks of cigarette everyday which is claimed that tobacco is responsible 5% of death on all NCD in 2004.
Mr. Badjie went on that before 2012 the amount of tax collected from cigarette was nothing more than D50 million but from 2013 to date, the amount escalated from that to nearly D400 million yearly which is a huge amount. He then suggested that the government need to allocated atleast 5% of the tax collected from tobacco to be used for NCD advocacy.
Ronald Bagaga CTCA Technical Advisor Compliance stressed that concerted efforts are needed to safeguard the interest of public health policies with due respect to tobacco control from commercial vested interest of the tobacco industry.
Mr. Bagaga furthered highlighted that efforts are also need you cope the burden of pressure from the tobacco industries in implementing the strategies, the essence of the WHO framework convention on tobacco control as significant for everybody to join hands to contribute for the drafting of a country implementation plan/ mechanism compliant with Article 5.3 of FCTC.
WORKSHOP OUTCOME
During the course, participants were divided into groups to map out key stakeholders who are believed can join hands and work for a tobacco free Gambia and it includes the Secretary General and head of Civil Service, key ministries from Health, Information Communication and Infrastructure, Interior, Environment, Justice, Finance, Trade and Regional Integration, MOBSE, Media, Lands and Local Government Traditional rulers, National Assembly of the crusade for the fight against the cigarette industries and define their responsibility.
Participants were also able to come up with recommendation and outline their responsibilities and strategies to put in place especially policies, principles to minimize threat of the tobacco industry and finally to solicit support from CTCA for the hiring of a legal practitioner for the final drafting.
By: Biram S Jobe BB
Attended by officials from WHO, the ministry of Health, Justice, Foreign affairs, Finance, RAID-The Gambia, GRA, Association of and Health Journalist-The Gambia, Chiefs, NSGA etc.
This workshop is aimed at drafting a mechanism that will help to cope the pressure of the tobacco industry and related issue to protect public health interest and commercial interest.
Declaring the workshop opened by the Director of Health Education and Promotion Mr. Modou Njai expressed appreciation towards the government for creating the platform to work will CTCA to better raise awareness of the tobacco bills and related regulations, because many people did not know or understands the about the policies.
Mr. Njai noted that the overall objectives of this workshop is to create awareness about Article 5.3 of the FCTC and the roles of various government technocrats in guarding public health policies against tobacco industry interference, to develop and adapt an appropriate code of conduct for the purpose of tobacco control implementation. And the adoption of country implementation plans/mechanisms compliant with Article 5.3 of FCTC.
He remind people that the tobacco industry is a wealth firm that will always stand to defend its interest in all countries worldwide and is always difficult to handle and this workshop will greatly help to advocate for the enactment of the tobacco bill and legislation, ensure more efforts to tobacco control and reflect on the continuous fight against tobacco control.
In his presentation, Madam Jennifer Kalule Musamba the CTCA Technical Advisor Communication & Advocacy dilated on the formation of CTCA was established in July, 2011 to support African governments to formulate and implement evidence based tobacco control policies and strategies as guided by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to curb the growing epidemic.
The centre derived its funding from the Bill and Melinda gates Foundation and the WHO with the vision of the centre as to a sustainable leading centre of excellence in empowering and vacillating tobacco to achieve a tobacco free Africa.
She highlighted that over the years CTCA achieved policy advocacy in many country especially the Tobacco Control Act in Uganda, Tobacco control policy in Uganda, Influencing tobacco tax increase in Uganda, Tobacco Control policy in Mauritania, Tobacco control bill in Mauritania, development of pictorial health warning in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda, and finally Supporting the tobacco Control Bill in The Gambia.
She also explained that the centre has areas of focus in the next 5 years which will touched key areas ranging from Information, Education and communication to enhance public compliance, FCTC articles on pictorial warning from tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS), Ban tobacco selling to minors and by minors, support alternative livelihood programmes, Support capacity building to Ministry of Health, Media and line government sects, support the development of regulations and implementation of comprehensive smoke free environment and so on.
Omar Badjie NCD Focal person Ministry of Health and Social welfare explained that over 6 million died as a result of tobacco yearly which is alarming and needed urgent steps to minimize it, and about 600 000 people also died due to exposure or second hand smoking in the home or at work which resulted every 6 second somebody died.
He mentioned that the world will lose a projected figure of 8 million people in 2030 of which 80% of it will be in low income countries which The Gambia is part of. He urged government, philanthropist, and individuals to increase the level of advocacy for a tobacco free world.
Omar cited various surveys that indicated the magnitude of the problem face especially in the Global Tobacco Youth Survey which indicates that 24.5% of children aged 13-15 smoke cigarette in which 28.6% are boys and 20.3% are girls which is a serious threat to our health system.
He explained that in the Gambia an average Gambian smoke 10sticks of cigarette everyday which is claimed that tobacco is responsible 5% of death on all NCD in 2004.
Mr. Badjie went on that before 2012 the amount of tax collected from cigarette was nothing more than D50 million but from 2013 to date, the amount escalated from that to nearly D400 million yearly which is a huge amount. He then suggested that the government need to allocated atleast 5% of the tax collected from tobacco to be used for NCD advocacy.
Ronald Bagaga CTCA Technical Advisor Compliance stressed that concerted efforts are needed to safeguard the interest of public health policies with due respect to tobacco control from commercial vested interest of the tobacco industry.
Mr. Bagaga furthered highlighted that efforts are also need you cope the burden of pressure from the tobacco industries in implementing the strategies, the essence of the WHO framework convention on tobacco control as significant for everybody to join hands to contribute for the drafting of a country implementation plan/ mechanism compliant with Article 5.3 of FCTC.
WORKSHOP OUTCOME
During the course, participants were divided into groups to map out key stakeholders who are believed can join hands and work for a tobacco free Gambia and it includes the Secretary General and head of Civil Service, key ministries from Health, Information Communication and Infrastructure, Interior, Environment, Justice, Finance, Trade and Regional Integration, MOBSE, Media, Lands and Local Government Traditional rulers, National Assembly of the crusade for the fight against the cigarette industries and define their responsibility.
Participants were also able to come up with recommendation and outline their responsibilities and strategies to put in place especially policies, principles to minimize threat of the tobacco industry and finally to solicit support from CTCA for the hiring of a legal practitioner for the final drafting.
By: Biram S Jobe BB