In an effort to step up its tobacco control support to countries in Africa, The Center for Tobacco Control in Africa has brought two new technical assistants on board.
Dr Roger Ciza and Dr Moumini Niaoné join the Center for Tobacco Control in Africa as technical assistants. The two will be supporting African governments to accelerate tobacco control implementation by offering technical guidance in target countries in the policy design and implementation of tobacco control. Ciza will be providing technical support to Burkina Faso while Niaone provides technical support to Benin. They will also join in technical efforts in Niger, Gambia, Gabon, Uganda, Zambia and Kenya.
Dr Ciza is an epidemiologist and implementation scientist /physician who has worked in tobacco control and public health promotion for about eight years. He co-ordinated the pilot project on Smoke-Free Schools in Bujumbura, Burundi and was instrumental in building and developing the Health Healing Network in Burundi.
Dr Niaoné is a médical doctor who specializes in social community and behavioral health. He has been involved in health promotion and tobacco control for several years and has played a key role in tobacco control in Burkina Faso, mainly through awareness raising activities, and the advocacy for tobacco control law enforcement. He has also been supporting tobacco control organisations design their intervention strategies.
Our technical assistants will help countries develop programmes that are sustainable and contribute towards creating a tobacco free Africa
Dr Jim Arinaitwe, CTCA Centre Manager
Ciza and Niaoné’s appointments are part of the center’s focus for the next seven years, working on sustainable tobacco control interventions to ensure Africa becomes tobacco free. The center’s interventions will be anchored on five pillars: capacity development, expanding the tobacco control evidence base, mobilising resources, improving tobacco control partnerships on the continent and engaging in institutional development.
Centre manager Dr Jim Arinaitwe said the appointments were a critical part of developing sustainable programming in CTCA’s target countries. “Tobacco control efforts in Africa have been rather piecemeal and siloed devoid of a structured avenue to suitability. Our technical assistants will help countries develop programmes that are sustainable and contribute towards creating a tobacco free Africa.”
The center, which is largely funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has a critical part of tobacco control effort on the continent. Since 2011 when the center opened its doors, it has been engaged with African governments to support tobacco control policy development and implementation and build capacity.
Along with partners on the continent, CTCA has made significant progress in some countries on the continent developing tobacco control initiatives. It supported establishment of tobacco control co-ordination mechanisms in Angola, Botswana, Gabon, Kenya, Mauritania, Niger and Uganda, work on WHO FCTC complaint laws in the Gambia, Mauritania and Uganda, help develop tobacco control bills in Angola and Botswana and catalyzed development of graphic health warnings in Kenya, Uganda and south Africa.
It has also work on competence developing in tobacco control law in Angola, Botswana, Gambia, Mauritania and Uganda. In addition to this, it has worked on training journalist and building media networks in several countries. CTCA has framed the Research Agenda and Alternative Livelihood Strategy for Africa as platforms for base expansion and guide transition to more commercially viable alternative to tobacco in Africa.