Why farmers are giving up tobacco for iron beans
Gilbert Ombok, 56, ditched tobacco farming and embraced high iron-rich beans commonly known as Nyota beans when the adverse effect of the nicotine crops caught up with him. His involvement in tobacco farming has made him feel the effects of the chemicals he used in farming and curing tobacco to date. The father of four who...
UBC’s Sarah wins ATCA tobacco control media award, Tobacco control act to be fully enforced
Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC)’s journalist Ms. Mawerere Sarah has won the Africa Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) 2022 Tobacco Control Media Award. While handling over the Award to Ms. Mawerere on Thursday morning, the national coordinator for Uganda Health Communication Alliance (UHCA) Mr. Baguma Richard Tinkasimire said the Award aims at recognizing the vital role that...
Tobacco use in Africa: Surveys show who needs help
In low-income countries, smoking is often associated with low social and educational status. These consumers do not have the means to pay for advice and medication. Tobacco use represents a heavy health and economic burden worldwide. The research valued that in 2019, around 8 million deaths were attributable to smoking. Tobacco also reduces years of healthy life : about...
Adriana B. Marquizo: Tobacco control deserves attention as climate change mitigation
The Head of Secretariat of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) Adriana Blanco Marquizo spoke to Vincent Owino on how the region can step up tobacco control. Your country, Uruguay, is among the few countries that have successfully become smoke-free. What lessons can Kenya and East Africa pick up on tobacco...
African countries fight for tobacco control
A lack of resources and interference from the tobacco industry make it difficult to strengthen anti-smoking regulations. Fastone Goma, a physician and chair of the Zambia Non-Communicable Disease Alliance, has been working for more than 15 years to pass tobacco cessation legislation in Zambia. Bills have gone to several ministers of health, agriculture and commerce,...
