South East Asian leaders sign declaration against tobacco
Health ministers from 11 countries in South East Asia signed a declaration to reduce tobacco use in the region. The Dili Declaration was signed yesterday in Timor Leste during the 68th Regional Committee Meeting of the WHO South-East Asia Region.
South East Asia accounts for one-third of the global tobacco use and 25% of the world’s smokers.
Dr Khetrapal Singh said in her inaugural address at the regional meeting. “We need to enforce stringent policies and measures to help people reduce and eventually quit tobacco; to prevent the youth and children from taking to tobacco use; and to protect people from secondhand tobacco smoke,” she said, calling for stricter implementation of tobacco control and prevention guidelines as outlined in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Implementing the recommendations of WHO FCTC, countries have increased the pictorial warning on tobacco products. In Nepal the pictorial warning covers 90% and in Thailand 85% of the cigarette packs.
Maldives and Nepal have banned all tobacco advertising. Though nine countries in the Region have levied excise tax on tobacco products, there is need to simplify tax structures and harmonize taxation of all tobacco products to close tax loopholes that the tobacco companies exploit to continue making their products accessible to the younger and poor people.
Tobacco control figured prominently at the Regional Committee Meeting, inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, Rui Maria de Araújo.
Accelerating the implementation of WHO FCTC is vital to achieving the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to reduce tobacco use 30% by 2025.
Category: Features, Health alert
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