In line with this year’s World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) theme of increasing tobacco taxes, CTCA has supported its target countries to carry out activities for the day. The theme for this year’s WNTD is Raising Tobacco Taxes, under the slogan reduce tobacco use, save lives.
CTCA’s target countries include Angola, Kenya, Mauritania, South Africa, and Uganda. Each of the countries will be carrying out country specific activities together with partners with a view of encouraging governments to raise tobacco taxes and creating a general awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco.
In Angola, a media and communication campaign is under way focusing on the need to raise tobacco taxes, the health burden of tobacco, as well as calling on the Government to pass a comprehensive tobacco control legislation. As part of the activities, the Ministry of Health is also organizing a workshop to develop a strategic plan for implementing tobacco control. The activities are jointly organized by members of the Inter-Ministerial tobacco committee.
Kenya will host a breakfast meeting in line with the theme on Friday May 30, 2014. The meeting will be attended by partners, technical people from key government departments, as well as Ministers of Finance and EAC. The overall objective is to encourage these key ministries to come up with a strategy for raising taxes both within the Kenya government and in the EAC region.
In Mauritania, the focus will be on the need to enact a comprehensive tobacco control legislation, as well as a call for raising tobacco taxes as per the theme. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) will also share their experiences in implementing tobacco control. A series of activities have been planned to take place including public sensitization on the dangers of tobacco, the need for a comprehensive tobacco control legislation, as well as a scientific presentation at the National Hospital and Medical School. The media activities include a press conference, as well as radio and TV debates.
South Africa is organizing a series of communication and media activities towards tobacco taxation, in line with the theme, raising tobacco taxes. Two publications have been produced and will be disseminated as part of the WNTD activities. The publications include a fact sheet on taxation, and a summary of the Pictorial Health Warning (PHW) Pictures that have been developed.
In Uganda, World No Tobacco Day activities will be held on Friday May 30, 2014 with a focus on tobacco taxation, as per the theme, and a call on legislators to pass the tobacco control bill 2014. The activities, to be hosted by the Ministry of Health, have been organized under the Tobacco Control Coordination Mechanism which brings together all the Tobacco Control partners in the country. Prior to the D-day celebrations, there will be an orientation of the Tobacco Control Media practitioners on the importance of raising tobacco taxes. A series of communication materials have also been developed and will be disseminated widely to create awareness about the dangers of tobacco, the need for passing the Tobacco legislation as well the benefits of governments increasing taxes. The media has also been highly mobilized to support tobacco control in the country.
CTCA has released a fact sheet on taxation which can be used by partners. The fact sheet is accessible on the following link; Download Here