Singapore Conference (15th WCTOH) urges UN, Governments to incorporate tobacco Control in Development Agenda, MDGs

Singapore Conference (15th WCTOH) urges UN, Governments to incorporate tobacco Control in Development Agenda, MDGs

Delegates from across the globe that participated at the 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (15th WCTOH) which was held March 20-24, 2012 in Singapore have called on the United Nations and national governments to incorporate tobacco control into the development agenda at national and global levels and at the next round of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In the declaration at the end of the convergence, delegates reaffirmed that the tobacco industry continues to develop new tobacco products and obstruct effective tobacco control measures and demanded that tobacco should be incorporated in future UN development indicators and the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).
They recognised that tobacco use is the leading preventable risk factor for non-communicable diseases and that all forms of tobacco products (including new and emerging tobacco products) and their by-products are harmful and noted that to improve the quality of life, enhance human development, and reduce the social, environmental, economic, and healthcare burdens of countries, the global tobacco control community must increase the scope and intensity of tobacco control efforts.
A comprehensive collaboration and coordination at the global, regional, and national levels between tobacco control communities as well as sectors outside health were recommended as essential to move tobacco control efforts forward.
They reaffirmed that the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is an effective and cost-effective tool for tobacco control and recommend that by 2015 all new bilateral and multilateral agreements and treaties should have a clause that allows governments to take any measures necessary to protect human life or health, provided that such measures are not used for trade protectionist purposes.
National governments were urged to incorporate tobacco control as a core item in country-level NCDs national plans, while partners (academics, NGOs, government’s agencies) are urged to initiate a study on the economic effects of tobacco.
Specific recommendations were also made on Articles 7 to 12 of the WHO FCTC. On Article 5.3, delegates recommended that by incorporating tobacco in development initiatives, by 2025 all parties will have adopted measures to address tobacco industry interference in public health policies.

Many things should be done by governments if they are really responsible and have commitment to protect their population but commitments and willing of donors and partners are very important to move forward all efforts done by tobacco control activists and advocates. Things to be done are very well known but there is lack of financial support for activists and local NGO. Apart of the Bloomberg Initiative Fund, no other donors are committed to fund tobacco control efforts. This is a big challenge to be solved.
Even the Bloomberg fund is not used equitably for all countries; only a small number of countries benefit of this fund. This is a second challenge to be solved.

Thanks for your attention.

Goma, April 24th, 2012.

Mateus Kambale Sahani, M.D.

Agir Ensemble/Goma-DRC.