Brazzaville, Congo – A network of Congolese tobacco control organizations (Réseau des ONG Congolaise de Lutte Antitabac - ROCAT) expressed satisfaction at the end of a tobacco control leadership capacity-building workshop sponsored and facilitated by the Africa Tobacco Control Consortium (ATCC). The workshop took place at the Vouela training center (20 km from Brazzaville) from November 29 - December 02, 2011.

Célestin ZOUMA, President of ROCAT described the four-day training as a first-time, unique opportunity, “We had the opportunity to eliminate all misconceptions on tobacco control; we have just acquired new skills. We need to act without delay.”

Two Members of Parliament counted among 18 participants spanning civil society, media, and religious authorities.  The Congolese Ministry of Health and Population was also present through tobacco control point person Mrs. LIKIBI BOHO Rosalie. 

Tcha-Kondor Nouréiny, Tax Campaign Coordinator of the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) in reaction to the recent announcement by PMI to decrease the price of Marlboro by nearly 40 percent in Senegal said:

“It is obvious that price decrease by Philip Morris International (PMI) in Senegal aims to recruit young smokers while maintaining its current costumers already chained to tobacco dependence. In addition, they aim to catch up with lost profit resulting from an excise tax on tobacco, leveled off at 45% according to Directive N° 03/99/CM/UEMOA. Insofar as tobacco is not a vital food stuff like rice or bread, the Senegalese government has the duty to protect the health of the population… taking cigarettes back to its initial price won’t cause any rioting by the population who have never requested for a decrease.

Flaubert Atangana, a 34-year-old Cameroonian, sits on his balcony every morning inhaling and exhaling the lethal smoke of his cigarette - something he’s been doing for over 15 years now. Conscious of smoking’s impact on his health, Joseph keeps puffing as he tells me, “…if I could stop, I would”.

Though the rate of tobacco use is still relatively low in Africa south of the Sahara, an unfortunate fact is becoming conspicuous - the tobacco industry has been better at recruiting new customers than we have been at discouraging tobacco use. It is therefore increasingly imperative that we develop strategies to curb the growing burdens caused by tobacco use in our societies, as it is a risk common factor to the four major groups of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

One of the more promising avenues to arrest the growth of tobacco use and dependence is to encourage tobacco cessation programs. “A well-coordinated, science-based initiative that mobilizes the global community of health care providers to increase the availability of tobacco dependence treatment can contribute to remediating the disconcerting reality of growing tobacco dependence in our society,” said Prof OA Ayo Yusuf, Associate Professor at the University of Pretoria. Prof Ayo was one of the trainers at a three-day tobacco use cessation training hosted by Global Bridges, Afro region, at the University of Pretoria, 23-25 August.

“This is my first participation to a workshop that analyses and explains key FCTC articles. This has deepened my knowledge on the subject and provided me with more reasons to commit to tobacco control in my country."

—Paul Ebusu, Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Uganda

Masaka, Uganda – The Uganda National Tobacco Control Association (UNTCA) hosted a 4-day tobacco control leadership capacity-building workshop from September 28 to October 1, 2011 in Masaka, Uganda. The workshop aimed to “identify and support a new generation of leaders in tobacco control and equip them with skills and resources for effective advocacy in the country.”

Sponsored and co-facilitated by the Africa Tobacco Control Consortium (ATCC), the training gathered 25 Ugandan tobacco control stakeholders from the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization (WHO), civil society organizations, journalists, and staff of the newly created Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa (CTCA).

Issues discussed at the training included guidelines on the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) provisions on: smoke free public places (art.8), tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (art.13), packaging and labeling (art.11), and protecting tobacco control measures from tobacco industry interference (art.5.3).