Tag - WHO

WHO urges governments to stop subsidizing life-threatening tobacco crops

On World No Tobacco Day, WHO urges governments to stop subsidizing tobacco farming and support more sustainable crops that could feed millions. “Tobacco is responsible for 8 million deaths a year, yet governments across the world spend millions supporting tobacco farms,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “By choosing to grow food instead of tobacco, we...

World No Tobacco Day 2023 awards – the winners

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 Awards, World No Tobacco Day Awards, and in 2023, one WHO Director-General's Special Recognition Certificate. WHO Director-General Special awards Dr Odete Maria...

Seeds of change in Kenya as farmers lead way on tobacco-free farms

The initiative, supported by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), in cooperation with the Kenyan authorities, is helping to “move the needle” on ending the global tobacco epidemic, said WHO. Kenya is the first country to participate in the scheme, which offers training to tobacco farmers so that they...

Launch of tobacco-free farms in Kenya

Nairobi - Hundreds of farmers in Migori County, Kenya will break free from risky tobacco farming and transition to producing more sustainable crops, through the Tobacco-Free Farms Project being launched today. Tobacco-Free Farms project is a joint initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the...

WHO and tobacco control partners urge countries not to partner or work with the tobacco industry

WHO is concerned with continued attempts by the tobacco industry and their surrogates to further its interests to influence scientific research, public perception, policy making, and the media; all aimed to ensure proliferation and sale of nicotine and tobacco products. The tobacco industry continues to amplify misinformation in the media, including the recent egregious attacks on...

Public Health Experts Urge Kenya To Adopt Swedish Model To Reduce Smoking Prevalence

Nairobi, Kenya Apr 6 – Public health experts have urged Kenyan lawmakers to adopt the pioneering example set by Sweden, to encourage Kenyans to quit smoking. Sweden is set to become the first country in the world to achieve ‘smoke-free’ status when its tobacco smoking prevalence rate falls below 5% in the next few months based...

Smoking drops as high tobacco taxes take effect

Smoking among Rwandans has reduced, mainly due to high tobacco taxes and prices, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health, Dr Yvan Butera, told lawmakers. This was during a plenary session of the Lower House, held on February 20, 2023, which adopted the law approving Rwanda’s accession to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade...

Training of legislators and advisors by WHO in Mauritius on use of various legal tools to strengthen tobacco control and reduce NCD risk factors

Legal advisors and judicial officers from Botswana, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia attended a 3-day legal capacity building workshop in Port Louis, Mauritius from 01 to 03 March 2023 to strengthen tobacco control and reduction of NCD risk factors.  Mauritius was proposed to host the...

It’s time to enact the Tobacco Control Bill

2023 marks exactly 15 years since Zambia became party to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) and made an undertaking to come up with a domestic comprehensive tobacco control law. In the absence of a tobacco control legislation, Zambia will continue losing around 8,000 lives annually due to tobacco consumption, according...

EU tobacco taxation: The fine line between killing smoking and illicit trade

The European Union’s plans to further increase tobacco taxation and reduce declining smoking rates across the bloc have pleased public health advocates, but the industry warns that tax revenues may be disrupted by the rise of illicit markets that flourish when taxes are high. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), tobacco taxation is an...

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