Press Release
A group of civil
society organizations that campaign on public health are demanding action from
the Minister of Health. They want him to “move” on the stagnated process of
enacting a comprehensive tobacco control law in line with the country’s
international commitments. Zambia ratified the WHO Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control (FCTC) in May 2008 but has not domesticated the treaty since.
Early this year, the PF government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
undertook to domesticate all treaties to which Zambia is a party.
“As civil society
groups we welcomed this announcement by government. We were excited that
government was keen to fulfill it’s commitments to the international world but
now we are dismayed because not much is happening in terms of actualization of
those lofty pronouncements” said Brian Moonga, Secretary General for the Zambia
Media Network Against Tobacco (ZAMNAT).
The group that
recently held a mentorship meeting in Lusaka expressed regret that the Ministry
of Health has been dragging its feet on a matter that has been outstanding since
2010. “We are not happy, repeated correspondence with the office of the Minster
on this subject has gone unattended to.
This is not healthy, government needs to respond to the concerns of
citizens and we want progress on this issue” added Raphael Makowane of Zambia
Anti- Smoking society. The group says there is no justification whatsoever to
continue delay on the legislation because the health, economic and social consequence of tobacco use
are well known and documented. Disease and death caused by tobacco use, once a
problem manly in high- income countries, have become a large and increasing
part of the burden of disease in developing countries. According to the WHO,
the huge death toll associated with tobacco use is rapidly engulfing low and
middle income countries, where most of the world’s 1.2 billion smokers live.
“But the course
and pattern of this epidemic can be changed” said Muyunda Ililonga, Executive
Director of Zambia Consumer Association, “The FCTC to which Zambia is party
provides a road map to a common framework to move ahead. It promotes
evidence-based measures that are effective yet cost- effective in combating
tobacco use. Politicians committed to public health can place tobacco-a risk
factor to several non-communicable diseases (NCDS)-on top of the health agenda
and save lives and future of our children. Nations are taking bold steps to
protect the lives of their people from premature death caused by tobacco use.
We cannot continue with our slow match while other nations are moving forward.
We must act now to protect the health of our people. The world is watching us,”
added Ililonga.
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