[afro-nets] Strengthening UN Treaty on Tobacco Control

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

Officials Gather in Geneva to Strengthen UN Treaty on Tobacco
Control
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from Vern Weitzel <vern.weitzel@undp.org>


New York, Feb 6 2006 2:00PM

Officials from more than 110 nations gathered in Geneva today
for a two-week conference meant to propel a United Nations
global treaty closer toward its ultimate goal of saving lives as
it curbs tobacco use among the world's 1.3 billion smokers.

Representing three-quarters of the world's population, the offi-
cials are meeting to decide on detailed measures that can fur-
ther strengthen the World Health Organization Framework Conven-
tion on Tobacco Control (WHO FTC). This is the first meeting of
the Conference of the Parties, the governing body of the Treaty
since it entered into force nearly one year ago. Many of the
countries joining this first COP session have already imple-
mented some of the Treaty's concrete measures. Ireland, Norway
and Spain, for example, recently banned smoking in indoor public
places while India has comprehensive tobacco advertising bans.
Brazil, Canada, Thailand and Singapore now print graphic warn-
ings on cigarette packages. "This group has already changed his-
tory," said Dr. Lee Jong-wook, WHO Director- General said at the
session. "The convention is something that we all committed to.
Its provisions are bold. They are based on knowledge of what is
effective. We will make it work." As the second major cause of
death in the world, tobacco now responsible for about 5 million
deaths annually, according to WHO, which estimates that 84 per
cent of the world's 1.3 billion smokers live in developing and
transitional economy countries.

The WHO Tobacco Free Initiative believes the most cost-effective
strategies to curb tobacco consumption are population-wide pub-
lic policies, like tobacco advertising bans, tobacco tax and
price increases, smoke-free environments in all public and work-
places, and graphic health messages on tobacco packaging. All of
these measures are required under the Treaty's provisions, in-
cluding some with deadlines. For example, from the Treaty's en-
try into force, countries have three years to enforce health
warnings on tobacco products and five years to implement compre-
hensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
"This is a crucial time for people suffering the consequences of
tobacco use," said Dr. Yumiko Mochizuki-Kobayashi, Director of
the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative. "Tobacco is still the top pre-
ventable cause of death. The goal is to see it fall from that
position in our lifetime. With continued commitment from Member
States, we will achieve that goal." In another development on
the health front, WHO and The Foundation for Innovative New Di-
agnostics, with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Founda-
tion, announced today in Geneva a joint project aimed at devel-
oping new diagnostic tests for human African trypanosomiasis,
also known as sleeping sickness. A major public health threat in
sub-Saharan Africa, African sleeping sickness spreads among peo-
ple bitten by the tsetse fly and is fatal unless treated. Be-
cause early-stage infection produces few symptoms, it is thought
that only 10 per cent of patients with the disease are accu-
rately diagnosed.