National Tobacco Control Focal Persons hailed for their commitment to tobacco control

December 10, 2015-

The Dean School of Public Health and CTCA Director, Prof William Bazeyo has called on Tobacco Control Focal Persons in CTCA’s target countries to be more vigilant in guarding public health policies against Tobacco Industry Interference. The Dean was this morning officiating at the opening of a two day planning retreat for National Tobacco Control Focal Persons of CTCA’s target countries for Phase II. The meeting held at the Lake Victoria Serena Hotel in Kigo is attended by National Tobacco Control Focal Person from four of the five CTCA target countries including Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, and Niger. 

The main objective of the retreat is to review country progress over the past year of CTCA’s second funding phase and also identify country priorities that will inform work planning for Year II.

Prof. Bazeyo hailed the Focal Persons for their commitment and urged them to bring more policy makers on board so as to build critical support for tobacco control policies. He added that tobacco control is a key public health intervention that requires concerted efforts considering that tobacco use is a key risk factor for most NCDs.  The Dean pledged to continue fundraising for tobacco control which he said is a key public health intervention that changes many lives.

 Beruk Negash, the Program Officer from the Africa Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) stressed that both ACBF and CTCA are mindful of the fact that tobacco control issues are dynamic and thus require a lot of flexibility adding that due consideration will always be given to new priorities when necessary. Negash also stressed the need to partner with Civil Society Organizations particularly those supported by ACBF so as to build synergy. 

One of the key outcomes of the retreat is the identification of new and emerging tobacco control priorities in line with the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) that CTCA can support in the next year or so. The Focal Persons expressed gratitude for CTCA’s support and specifically hailed the participatory planning process.

A number of interventions and priorities have been identified by each country feeding into CTCA’s strategic outcomes.