Gates Africa Tobacco Control Partners are meeting in Addis to discuss TC updates and develop action plans for the next year. The meeting, hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is attended by both regional and global TC partners and advocates including government representatives, grant makers, WHO, CTCA and SCOs.
In her opening remarks this morning, Ms. Cynthia Lewis, Deputy Director, Global Policy & Advocacy Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hailed partners for their concerted efforts, adding that much progress has been made in tobacco control in Africa due to the commitment of the TC partners in the region. She also hailed Ethiopia for the great strides made in tobacco control.
Ethiopia’s Minister of Health His Excellency Dr. Kesetebirham said a key strategy for Ethiopia’s successful implementation of TC has been setting up a strong robust system with good policies and effective program management. However despite the achievements, Ethiopia has been cautioned to be on the lookout for tobacco industry interference with public policies.
During the meeting, the partners recognized Uganda for passing a comprehensive TC law, and urged the country to ensure that its implementation is equally effective.
The Dean Makerere University School of Public Health also CTCA Director said, Prof. William Bazeyo, informed participants that because of the commitment of the partners in Uganda and the steady progress, one of the strong tobacco companies has been forced to re-locate and sell its properties in Uganda. He stressed that CTCA is willing and ready to support MOH Uganda to implement the law, along with other partners. Prof. Bazeyo noted that the Centre has already solicited funding from USAID to implement a project on Alternative Livelihoods to help the farmers transit from tobacco growing to other viable alternatives.
Sharing best practices for tobacco economics, Dr. Caxton Masudi, the Chief Manager Kenya Revenue Authority stressed the need for countries to sign the International Protocol on Illicit Trade, adding that it is the basis for implementing an effective tax system. He emphasized that before raising taxes, there is need for establishing an effective enforcement structure in terms of both administrative and legal measures. Dr. Masudi revealed that Kenya has adopted a policy that ensures that tobacco taxation is based on public heath principles as guided by the MOH, adding that this approach has proved to be effective.
The second and final day of the meeting will be characterized by country break away sessions where country teams will discuss the barriers to TC implementation in their settings, and develop actions plans on how best to overcome those barriers.