Kampala, April 22, 2014 – A  training on Tobacco control, Trade and Health is under way for the staff of the CTCA with a view of providing them with a foundation in the links between tobacco control and trade policies.  It seeks to orient the staff on the international trade and investment linkages to tobacco control policy, in light of countries’ obligations under the WHO FCTC.

The training is premised on the fact that while most international trade agreements contain provisions permitting the restriction of trade in the pursuit of human health, a number of these have lately been exploited to favor the tobacco industry over broader public health initiatives.  A case in point is the incident of Australia and Uruguay who are presently defending industry-led challenges to tobacco control legislation founded on the provisions of international trade agreements.  Additionally, five countries have filed complaints against Australia on plain packaging at the World Trade Organization (WTO), a situation widely perceived to be instigated by the tobacco industry. 

Conducted by WHO, this workshop is part of the strategy to empower the Centre to fulfill its mandate of  supporting governments in African countries to  build and sustain institutional capacity for tobacco control and reduce the consumption of tobacco by implementing evidence-based tobacco control strategies in Africa.  It is taking place at the CTCA complex, Kasangati, near Kampala. 

It is expected that by the end of the two day session, the participants will have received the basic tools to work with governments in the African region to ensure that; investment and trade negotiations consider and factor in health ramifications;  governments work toward achieving policy concordance between health and trade ministries in connection with tobacco control; and that capacity is built among national health policy makers to defend against tobacco industry challenges on the basis of trade.