The Ministry of Well being and Social Providers with help from WHO carried out a five-day tobacco coaching workshop to strengthen tobacco management measures within the nation.
The workshop that began on 11 September 2023 at Rundu within the Kavango East area additionally aimed toward strengthening individuals’ information, abilities and competencies by means of stakeholder engagement.
The individuals included environmental well being practitioners from the Ministry of Well being and Social Providers and city councils, social staff, and regulation enforcement companies.
Namibia ratified the WHO Framework Conference on Tobacco Management (FCTC) in November 2005.
The WHO FCTC offers for member states to determine infrastructure and make a dedication to the management of tobacco use in addition to selling neighborhood consciousness of the dangers associated to tobacco use.
Namibia’s Deputy Minister of Well being and Social Providers, Dr Ester Muinjangue, was the keynote speaker on the official opening of the coaching workshop.
Muinjangue famous that Namibia has documented successes in tobacco management and met requirements set out within the WHO FCTC.
For instance, the Namibian authorities banned all tobacco product commercials within the digital and print media, billboards and promotion effectively earlier than the Tobacco Merchandise Management Act of 2010 was signed into regulation.
Moreover, Namibia banned smoking in all authorities premises in 2005, and smoking shouldn’t be allowed in any well being facility and public premises. Smoking can also be banned in all public areas.
The Tobacco Merchandise Management Act was handed into regulation in 2010, adopted by the laws which had been handed in 2014.
These authorized devices modified the panorama of tobacco management measures, Muinjangue stated.
Additional, “the Authorities took a stance to encourage farming in different money crops aside from tobacco. The Authorities needs to make tobacco consumption an costly endeavor by means of annual will increase in customs and excise duties and levies,” Muinjangue defined.
As well as, there are measures to make sure the management of contraband tobacco by the Namibian Customs and Excise Division and the Ministry of Well being and Social Providers by means of the nation’s borders.
Regardless of these efforts, Muinjangue feels additional “intensification may be inspired by means of strengthened and empowered well being workforce throughout the Ministry of Well being and Social Providers supported by our growth cooperation companions”.
Muinjangue reminded authorities officers and policymakers attending the workshop to implement appropriate insurance policies and methods to allow market situations for tobacco farmers, by switching them to rising meals crops to curb the meals disaster.
She additionally urged inexperienced activists and public social welfare associations to collaborate in selling efforts to cease the rising of tobacco.
The Well being Ministry’s Deputy Minister additional stated nations ought to reply to the tobacco epidemic by means of the complete implementation of the WHO FCTC.
“To realize the Sustainable Improvement Purpose (SDG) goal of a one-third discount in non-communicable illnesses untimely mortality by 2030, tobacco management have to be a precedence for governments and communities worldwide,” highlighted Muinjangue.
She additional cautioned: “Because it stands, the world shouldn’t be on monitor to assembly this goal”. She additionally urged the workshop individuals to boost consciousness in regards to the risks of tobacco.
She referred to as on the workshop individuals and stakeholders to make sure that tobacco management within the nation is strengthened and extensively applied in all sectors.
“Important discount in tobacco use will guarantee declines in non-communicable illnesses and promote more healthy life,” harassed Muinjangue.
The coaching workshops had been carried out over a interval of two weeks. The primary week had individuals from the Zambezi, Kavango East and West, Ohangwena, Kunene, Omusati, Oshana and Oshikoto areas and the second coaching was from 18 September and included individuals from Otjozondjupa, Khomas, Hardap, !Khomas, Omaheke and Erongo areas.
The conferences beneficial revisions to the laws that may strengthen enforcement and supply higher safety in opposition to tobacco smoke for all.
