The First Lady of Uganda, Mrs. Janet Museveni has pledged to use the First Ladies’ Forum for Africa to advocate for Tobacco Control in Africa. Mrs. Museveni, who is also a Member of Parliament has also promised to fully support the Uganda Tobacco control Bill when it comes to Parliament in September.
This was during a meeting held with the CTCA Manager, Dr. Possy Mugyenyi and CTFK’s Joshua Kyallo. The two met the first Lady on Monday August 20,2012 at her office in State House Nakasero, Kampala. They briefed her on the dangers of tobacco use, specifically linking tobacco to NCDs, highlighting tobacco as a major gateway to the use of other drugs especially among the youth, effect of tobacco on women and the youth, tobacco and the MDGs, Tobacco and HIV/ AIDS, as well as tobacco farming and the strategies for Alternative Livelihood.
Mrs. Museveni who promised to garner support for tobacco control among her fellow first ladies in Africa stressed the need to prevent the tobacco epidemic to ensure that the youth don’t have to be affected by the NCD scourge. She further promised to include tobacco control in her various mobilization programs for both the women and the youth, and to mobilize her fellow parliamentarians to support the Uganda Tobacco Control Bill.