Kampala- Friday September 28, 2012 – The WHO Deputy Regional Director for Afro, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti has hailed CTCA for an impressive start in the target countries. Dr. Moeti was visiting the CTCA offices in Kasangati, near Kampala to acquaint herself with the work of the Centre. She said that WHO is interested in supporting the Centre to excel in its work, adding that Non- Communicable Diseases ( NCDs) and particularly Tobacco Control are priority areas for WHO.
Dr. Moeti emphasized the need for CTCA to leverage the relationship with WHO at all levels, including both technical and policy dimensions to ensure that the Centre is able to progress as it is supposed to in the target countries. She urged the Centre to build a critical mass of people knowledgeable about tobacco control on the entire continent beyond just the target countries. She advised them to develop training programs for tobacco control, and establish courses as well fellowship programs for the benefit of the entire continent. Dr. Moeti further urged CTCA to explore the option of linking tobacco control to the NCD programs in the Ministries of Health.
Regarding partnership, Dr. Moeti challenged the Centre Staff to mobilise partnership especially at the country level adding that it would be good to leverage the relationship with WHO country offices to strengthen the various partnerships in the countries. She further stressed the need for CTCA to keep the donor abreast of the progress as well as help them understand and appreciate the context under which the Centre operates.
In his remarks, the Centre Director, also Dean of the Makerere University School of Public Health ( MukSPH) Prof. William Bazeyo applauded Dr. Moeti’s invaluable support and contribution to the initial resource mobilization process that culminated into the establishment of the Centre. He pledged that the Centre will ensure that her efforts bear fruit on the continent.
Prof. Bazeyo noted that MukSPH partners with public health schools on the continent who would also like to benefit from tobacco control training programs adding that there is a lot of demand from these partner Schools. He therefore called on WHO to support the Centre to develop its internal capacity to enable it effectively become a tobacco control training resource for the Africa, and fill the existing gap. He said this can be done by WHO facilitating resource persons to carry out in-house training at the Centre which he said would be a more cost effective way of developing the Centre’s capacity to support the Ministries of Heath. In response the request, Dr. Moeti agreed that this approach could be explored as a strategy towards building a critical mass of Tobacco control knowledgeable persons.
CTCA Manager, Dr. Possy Mugyenyi briefed the Deputy Regional Director on the progress of the Centre since its inception. He said the Centre benefits from the linkages with both WHO and Makerere University, adding that the relationship has been instrumental in facilitating the implementation of the Centre activities in the countries. Dr. Mugyenyi reiterated the Centre’s commitment to attaining the strategic objectives aimed at ensuring a reduction in the consumption of tobacco on the continent.
Prof. Robert Machang’u who represented the WHO Country Representative for Uganda said that the country office is comfortable working with the Centre, adding that all matters of the Centre are well taken care of.
