Tobacco users suffer from chronic diseases and the public deserves protection from secondary inhalation, says WHO official

By Yemti Harry Ndienla

Though many countries in African are making efforts in the fight against tobacco consumption in their respective countries in particular and the continent in general a lot still has to be done. Dr Luis Sambo,World Health Organisation (WHO), Regional Director for Africa, says tobacco users suffer from chronic diseases and that the public at large deserves protection from secondary inhalation. Dr Sambo's statement was not new to Africa, where statistics indicate that 25 per cent of youths in the continent are tobacco consumers. Experts have equally warned that Tobacco poses a serious threat to the region’s health and development efforts. Little wounder why Ministers of health for the WHO Afro Region, reaffirmed their commitment to control tobacco use during the occasion of the third meeting of the conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control holding, which took place in Yaounde Cameroon, recently
The WHO Regional Director for Africa further expressed great concern on the plight of women when he said, “By Virtue of their multiple roles, women constitute a key link in the chain of development, and efforts must be made by African countries to ensure that women are in a state of physical, mental and social well-being to be able to carry out their numerous responsibilities”. Though many African countries claim to put women on top of their agenda (for political), a huge majority of them women are still unaware of their rights to health, education and life. Reason why many women continue to be victims of socio-cultural discrimination, harmful practices, gender-based violence, forced marriages, early, unwanted and excessive pregnancies.
Consequently, the Regional Director has proposed a plan of action which countries should implement to improve women’s overall well-being so as to enhance their contribution to development efforts throughout the region. The action plan includes the integration of women’s issues into national policies, improved clinical services for women, strengthening the capacity of women.
At the end of the meeting which also focused on the fight against cancer and the harmful use of alcohol both WHO and the 46 ministers of health stood together and recommitted themselves to take all actions that can bring about effective tobacco control in all countries in the African region, to vigorously control the youths from influence by the tobacco industry and proposed strategies to prevent and control cancer. In Cameroon for example the consumption of tobacco is quite alarming especially among youths. A survey conducted by government in some 13 secondary schools in the nation's capital of Yaounde recently revealed that over 40 percent of student are smokers