In prison, it’s estimated that 80% of men between the ages of 18 and 54 smoke. This is almost two times higher than the general population, making tobacco control in prisons an important priority.
But to address this, researchers need tangible data about how much prisoners know about smoking, and why they smoke.
It’s a known fact that smoking is a major public health issue and is a risk factor for many diseases, particularly non-communicable diseases that cause more than 70% of adult deaths worldwide. In Burundi, little data on smoking in prisons is available.
Dr Patrick Bitangumutwenzi of the University of Burundi and Action Damien Burundi, will be embarking on a study that answers these questions. He will develop a tangible tool to help policymakers implement a new tobacco control policy for people at risk, specifically in prisons.
He is one of 12 African researchers who has been awarded a USD5000 grant to conduct research under the Tobacco Control Research Agenda, hosted by the Center for Tobacco Control in Africa.
“Tobacco control needs to be multi-sectoral and focus much more on risk population groups in order to reduce mass consumption. Our study comes at the right time to properly identify the lines of action in the fight against tobacco in Burundian prisons,” said Bitangumutwenzi in his research proposal.
The level of knowledge about smoking, the factors involved in its use and the link between tobacco use and diseases that have already invaded inmates, are key points of awareness on smoking.
The study will be carried out at the Bujumbura Central Prison and Murembwe Prison in Rumonge, western Burundi – two large prisons in the country that contain the majority of the country’s inmates. About 400 inmates between the ages of 18 and 54, will be the focus by filling in an anonymous questionnaire.
The research will be conducted in partnership with the University of Burundi Faculty of Medicine Action Damien Burundi, Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Justice.
Once Bitangumutwenzi publishes his findings he will host an exchange workshop tobacco control stakeholders in the country in a capacity building tobacco control workshop that will help them develop long-term control actions among at-risk groups.