Message from WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti The world marks World No Tobacco Day on 31 May every year, to raise awareness of the negative health, social, economic and environmental impacts of tobacco production and use. This year’s theme, “Tobacco: Threat to our environment”, aims to highlight the environmental impact of the entire...
Ernest Ajayi, a 45 years-old civil servant who resides in Abuja, recalls that he picked up smoking because he thought “smoking made people look successful, classy and respected”. He said growing up, many movies portrayed the rich and influential people were smokers and that enticed him to start smoking in his early twenties at the...
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has intensified Tobacco Free Farms sensitization campaigns across 20 regions in the country ahead of World No Tobacco Day scheduled for 31st May this year in a bid to ensure reduction of tobacco-related deaths. Speaking to the press at the Agricultural Training Center (ATC) in the outskirts of Kisii town,...
Preliminary findings have shown that tobacco use the usage of tobacco has remained prevalent despite the efforts done to avert the devastating health and environmental impacts of the drug. In a study conducted in Nakuru, Kisumu, Mombasa and Nairobi Counties since March this year, 3 out of 10 youths use tobacco showing with a majority of...
Op-ed - The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced. Tobacco kills more than 8 million people every year, and around 1.2 million of these deaths are due to exposure to second-hand smoke. This is far greater compare to deaths due to COVID-19 and it has been...
Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache will lead celebrations to commemorate ‘World No Tobacco Day’ at the university of Nairobi, Great court. This yearly celebration informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies. Every year, more than 8,100 Kenyans die of tobacco related diseases, while more than 220,000 children...
Migori, Kenya — Sixty-four-year-old Petalis Ouma has suffered chronic cough and chest pains. Lately, the chest pain has been worsening. He has never smoked a cigarette but cultivated tobacco for years in his home in Migori, a region in southwestern Kenya where tobacco is one of the primary cash crops. Growing tobacco has a detrimental effect...
On 20 May 2022 the Cabinet of the Republic of Mauritius approved the new Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco Products) Regulations 2022, issued under the Public Health Act. The new Regulations are ground-breaking, introducing standardized plain packaging for tobacco products, implementing a set of bold new combined graphic health warnings which will now cover 70-...
Tobacco production is a multi-billion-dollar global industry. Unfortunately, the cultivation of tobacco engages the labour of children in extremely dangerous environments, which has both immediate and long-term consequences for society. Tobacco production and consumption are public health issues with human rights implications. Tobacco is now produced in 125 countries, including Kenya. In a quest to...
Every year, WHO recognizes individuals or organizations in each of the six WHO Regions for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. This recognition takes the form of WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award and World No Tobacco Day Awards. WHO Director-General Special award Tobacco Free Portfolios, Australia President of Mexico Mr. Andrés Manuel López...
