Kenya: BAT's loss on tobacco regulations a win for health ministry

High Court judge, Mumbi Ngugi has adopted the proposed regulations on the control of the manufacture, sale and advertisement of tobacco products.

On her ruling, Ms. Ngugi directed that the regulations become effective in six months time.

This ruling is considered a major win for the Ministry of Health that was at the forefront of developing the regulations.

The tobacco company had moved to challenge the regulations in the high court, citing that they were in bad faith and only sought to interfere with their tobacco business.

The adoption of the new regulations will govern the size of health warnings on cigarette packages as well as its advertising.

Mrs. Hilda Ochefu’s working visit to Cameroon

The sub-regional responsible for West Africa and Cameroon from the American NGO « Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids” came to inquire about the status of tobacco control in Cameroon.

Mrs Hilda Ochefu with C3T members

A tobacco producing country, Cameroon has an extrovert cigarette market of close to 90%. With more than 1 million smokers and its geographical position which places it at the heart of the Central Africa and enables at the same time to assure a connection with West Africa, Cameroon, is a bastion of Tobacco Control in Central Africa.

It is with this challenge that Mrs Hilda Ochefu, the West African responsible for the American NGO “Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids” came to feel the reality of tobacco control in Africa in miniature. During her stay from 16-19^th February, 2016), Mrs. Hilda Ochefu held numerous working meetings with actors of the civil society, the government and the parliament.

Tobacco: Risk factor for Non-Communicable Diseases

Cancers, Cardiovascular Diseases and pulmonary pathologies are at the center of which tobacco is directly involved.

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD’s), also called chronic diseases, are not transferred from one person to another. They are of long duration and evolve generally slowly. The four principal types of non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases (Cardiovascular or cerebral accidents), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma) and diabetes.

Tobacco use, the first preventable risk factor for NCD

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the principal risk factors for NCD include tobacco use, poor eating habits, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol. Among the causes of death, tobacco use is one that can be better prevented. WHO reports about it, that smoking is a risk factor common to the four main non-communicable diseases groups (Cancer, Cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes), and kills more than 6 million people each year. We estimate that tobacco use is at the origin of close to 71% of deaths related to cancer of the lungs, 42% of chronic respiratory diseases and close to 10% of cardiovascular diseases respectively.

Information: GATS-Cameroon results presented to journalists.

An information workshop with journalists on the Global Adult Tobacco Survey results (GATS-2013), the recommendations of the FCTC proposed anti-tobacco law bill, this took place on the 08^th of September 2015 in Yaounde, in the presence of the chief of service of tobacco control at the ministry of public health.

Organized by the Cameroon Coalition to Counter Tobacco(C3T), this workshop falls within the framework of the popularization of the GATS results, enabling the Cameroonian press to have sufficient information on the situation of tobacco use in Cameroon. "The press is a powerfuleducative instrument, reason for which we have consulted the present historians you are in this workshop, to put to your disposal more elements for the better treatment of issues related tobacco issues" explained by Dr Flore Ndembiyembe before adding: "The GATS-Cameroon is the first survey on tobacco use in adults, this enables the better orientation of advocacy towards the best c Thus the importance of rendering these results popular.

During this gathering, the press was equally enlightened on the situation of tobacco control in Cameroon, the proposed tobacco control bill…

Mobilization: presentation of GATS-Cameroon results to the civil society

Fifteen (15) associations of the civil society participated during an information workshop on the Global Adult Tobacco Survey results (GATS-2013), tobacco control and the proposed tobacco control bill, on Thursday 20th August 2015 in Yaounde.

In the presence of the representative of the ministry of public health and the press, the Cameroon Coalition to Counter Tobacco (C3T) presented to the Cameroonian civil society the results of « Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2013)». With regards to this survey realized amongst Cameroonian adults:

-          1 100 000 million adults are tobacco users ;

-          19,2% of adults are exposed to tobacco smoke at work ;

-          22,9% of adults who took public transport are exposed to tobacco smoke ;

-          80,4% of adults are in favor of the prohibition of smoking inside confined public places.

According to the participants present during this gathering, the knowledge and conclusions on the results of GATS will lead a better orientation of action against tobacco across the country and to best support advocacy towards the adoption of a strong anti-tobacco law.

Kenya to introduce pictorial health warnings

Cigarette manufacturers, distributors and importers will not be allowed to put brand names or trademarks on cigarette packages and wrappers starting June this year.

According to the new Tobacco Control Regulations 2014 published by the Ministry of Health on Monday, the cigarette packages will instead carry health warnings and pictograms on the front and back respectively.

“A person shall not manufacture, sell, distribute or import a tobacco product for sale in Kenya, whose package carries a name, brand name, text, trademark or pictorials or any representation or sign which suggest that the tobacco product is less harmful to health rather than other tobacco,” a section of the regulations stated.

The pictogram is required to be printed in full colour, contrasting with the background to ensure noticeability while the health warning messages will be printed in black and white.

The health warning message on the front of the package will be printed in English while the back package will be in Kiswahili.