Ghana to host WHO confab on tobacco

Saturday, February 27, 2010 (The Mirror Pg 34)
By Rebecca Kwei
UNDER its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the World Health Organisation (WHO) is encouraging member countries to promote economically viable alternatives for tobacco workers, growers, as well as sellers.
This is because people who cultivate and handle tobacco leaves are equally at risk of tobacco-related diseases such as green tobacco sickness, pesticide intoxication, respiratory and dermatological disorders and other types of cancers.
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health and articles 17 and 18 deal with the provision of alternative means of livelihood for those who rely on tobacco farming or work for their living; and also to protect the environment and people from the harmful effects of tobacco.
To this end, Ghana will host the second working group on Article 17 and 18 of the WHO FCTC from April 20 to 23, 2010 in Accra.
About 38 delegates from 18 member countries and civil society will participate in the meeting in Accra.
The first meeting was held in India in September last year.
Inaugurating the local planning committee for the second working group of the WHO FCTC, the immediate past Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Nii Oakley Quaye-Kumah, and now Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, said tobacco smoking was unhealthy, caused chronic diseases and could lead to death.
He said the FCTC called on all parties to the convention to raise awareness about the addictive and harmful nature of tobacco products and about industry interference with tobacco control policies.
Additionally, it also called on all parties to avoid conflicts of interest for government officials and employees to monitor and evaluate measures to reduce exposure to tobacco smoke and enforce laws on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
Dr Quaye-Kumah said the main objectives of the working group meeting in Accra was to interact with other global players and to deliberate and strategise on alternative livelihoods to tobacco growing in order to protect the environment and health of persons in the production and manufacture of tobacco products.
The working group meeting is also expected to come up with recommendations on effective measures that parties may take to promote sustainable alternatives to tobacco growing.
The local planning committee has Dr Akwasi Osei, Chief Psychiatrist, as its chairman. The members are Mrs Edith Wellington, Focal Person, Tobacco Control Programme, Ghana Health Service; Mrs Marian Tackie, Director, Administration and Gender, Ministry of Health; Ms Sophia Twum-Barima, WHO; Mrs Pearl Akiwumi-Siriboe, Attorney General’s Department; a representative each from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ms Martha Osei, Coalition of NGOs in Tobacco Control, and Mr Ben Ahiagbe, Consumer Concerns Initiative.
For his part, Dr Osei said the meeting in Accra would elaborate on the FCTC guidelines, which would then be used by the WHO to guide various countries in their implementation of the articles.
He said the document would then be discussed and adopted by the General Assembly towards the end of the year as a guide for the world towards the control of tobacco production, marketing and consumption.
Dr Osei assured the deputy minister that “we will do our utmost best for this meeting to be a memorable and a very productive one so that the working group can produce a document worthy of its sort”.