The first ever health treaty to be negotiated by the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC ) was the subject of discussion by stakeholders and opinion leaders at the President’s International Award hall in Bakau. The ceremony was organised by Raid The Gambia on Tuesday.

Delivering the keynote remarks on behalf of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, majority leader of the National Assembly said tobacco use, particularly the practice of cigarette smoking is the second leading cause of premature death in the world.

In recognition of the threat tobacco use poses to public health, the majority leader said member countries of the WHO in May 2003 adopted FCTC, the first international treaty devoted to health.   He projected that of the five million deaths in the 21st century over 70 percent occurred in low and middle-income countries.

“The FCTC has propelled tobacco control into a new era as countries all over the world consider incorporating FCTC policies and recommendations into their own laws. We in The Gambia have over the years witnessed the enactment of laws geared towards reducing the harmful effect of tobacco on the livelihood of our people,” he said.
This according to him includes anti-public smoking Acts as well as the repeal of tobacco advertisement Act. “We at the National Assembly in June 2007 ratified the WHO framework convention on tobacco control without any reservation which is the main agenda of this forum.
These developments are a major stride by The Gambia government to contain the menace of tobacco in The Gambia. The Gambia leader, President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh has given priority to the development of the health sector. We will therefore not relax until all barriers to achieve good health for the citizenry are demolished,” he added.
 
Deputising for the Secretary of State for Health and Social Welfare, Saihou Janneh, deputy permanent secretary at the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare said the effect of tobacco consumption on health have been sufficiently documented by WHO and other international and reputable scientific organisations.
According to him, the National Assembly of The Gambia has already ratified the framework convention on tobacco control. He added that The Gambia now ranks 148 out of the 192 member states of WHO that ratified the convention.

“However, ratification alone is of limited value if objectives are not rigorously pursued,” he said.
Dr Nestor Shivute, WHO representative in The Gambia, speaking earlier, said tobacco has been a subject of intensive debate on the international agenda for quite too long. According to Dr Nestor Shivute, it has not only been a long way but a difficult journey establishing the facts associated with negative social, economic and political effects due to tobacco use.

“It is in response to this complex dilemma surrounding tobacco use that the World Health Organisation has since 1998 been working very closely with its 192 Member States, international institutions and organisations from around the world to develop an all inclusive framework convention for tobacco control. This led to the formulation of the first ever international public health treaty,” he explained.

He added that to achieve the required objective will require a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertisement, scholarship and promotion, which should be implemented within five years of the ratification. He continued that a strong health warning be pasted on tobacco packaging covering at least 30 per cent of the principal display areas within three years and there should be measures to reduce the smuggling of tobacco products.

For his part, Samboujang Conteh, the director of RAID, said the implementation of the tobacco convention is most crucial, as it needs collective action for all stakeholders in The Gambia. He added that RAID in the month of June conducted nationwide consultation meetings on the tobacco convention reaching 1,534 participants in 24 venues. According to him, the forum will pave way for the state department of health to act as soon as possible in the creation of a tobacco control unit as well as national action on tobacco control convention.