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.

The popularization of GATS - Cameroon: the Cameroon Coalition to Counter Tobacco on all fronts

With the aim of popularizing the results of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), the Cameroon Coalition to Counter Tobacco is implementing an intensive communication campaign.

GATS, this word spilled much ink and saliva in Cameroon. Indeed, this is the center of discussion within media programs, educative and professional encounters...

Fruits of the informative campaign implemented by the C3T, this multiple subject on the GATS have as objective to inform policy makers and the population on the current situation of the tobacco epidemic in Cameroon, so that adequate measures are taken to ensure quality tobacco control in Cameroon

Direct Communication

Also with the aim of ameliorating the perceptions and comprehension of this survey, a multisectoral meeting on this results was presided by the Ministry of public health. Information workshops on the GATS results were organized to attract the interest of civil society organizations and journalists. Press coffee workshops organized by the C3T, gave an advantage to the press towards the better use of the results related to tobacco use in Cameroon. Communications on GATS Cameroon were equally published in the press and social media.

Mass communication

These actions led to the regular treatment of the GATS topic in media. Also, within the period from June to September 2015, about ten corresponding’s were made on this subject.Cameroon-tribune (le quotidian pro-governmental) they even dedicated one of their editorials. Talk-shows were equally made on this subject.

Ministry of Public Health: How to ameliorate tobacco control

United around the minister of public health and the civil society during a multisectoral encounter, public administration and civil society study the problem of tobacco use in Cameroon. Objective of the meeting of September 09^th 2015, the amelioration of tobacco control in Cameroon.

Presided by the minister of public health, this encounter saw the participation of about 30 representatives of administrations and organizations concerned by the putting in place of anti-tobacco measures in Cameroon.

With regards to his luminary proposals, the minister of public health made known that this encounter will facilitate working on tobacco control measures to be taken in relation to the results and the conclusions of the Global Adult Tobacco (GATS-2013) survey. Strong and alarming results, the minister of public health notified that to reduce the ravage caused by tobacco use in our country, a strong tobacco control law in accordance with the FCTC was forwarded to the government. But while waiting for its outcome, measures to reduce exposition to tobacco use needs to be implemented by all administrations.

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.

Education: tobacco prevention in the manual of secondary schools.

The entrance of tobacco prevention in the curriculum of secondary schools will enable a better awareness of the youth about the dangers of tobacco.

Despite attitudes changes towards the dangers of tobacco, smoking is increasing. To remedy this situation, Hilaire Abouna, les Classiques Africains, alongside the Cameroon Coalition to Counter Tobacco (C3T), for the first time ever in the Cameroonian educational system, integrated in the module "Health Education" of the Sciences and Technology manual for the level two of the secondary education, a chapter entitled "Emerging behaviors harmful to the reproductive health."

The said chapter describes behaviors that can interfere with reproduction by putting a special emphasis on the dangers of smoking. Indeed, of the four pages covering this chapter, half are devoted to issues pertaining to tobacco.