The 1st African Conference on Tobacco or Health (ACTH),
12/06
7-10 December 2006
Casablanca, Morroco
http://www.acthmorocco.org/
WHY AN AFRICAN CONFERENCE ?
Tobacco is expanding across developing countries, due essentially to the
aggressive marketing of tobacco industries and to the poor level of
fight and resistance of the local non-governmental organizations. The
increase of tobacco consumption is rocketing in African countries where
some data are available: 30-39% of men smoke in Morocco and Egypt,
40-49% in Algeria, Ivory Cost, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania,
South Africa, 60% and more in Tunisia, Namibia and Kenya, according to
«Tobacco Atlas » published by WHO in 2000. To be sure, the prevalence of
tobacco-related deaths seems to be weaker in Africa (< 5-9%) than within
industrialized countries (20 to >25%), probably due to the preponderance
of other dominant causes of death!
Tobacco consumption causes diseases not only on active smokers but also
on passive smokers, the more vulnerable being children. Some of these
diseases are poorly curable, not to say incurable like cancers. Tobacco
causes invalidities and premature deaths. It contributes to the
impoverishment of people, families and economy of states. So, it
aggravates health and economic status of countries, already suffering
from malnutrition, infectious and parasitic diseases. Even the indoor as
well as outdoor environment is not spared and is deteriorating, given
that on one hand, people smoke in their homes and workplaces. On the
other hand, tobacco-producing countries are constrained to deforest in
order to dry up tobacco leaves, which in return leads to soil erosion.
OBJECTIVES
General objectives
1. Raise awareness of individuals and the community about the hazards of
tobacco use regarding the health, social, economic and environmental fields.
2. Incite decision-makers and opinion leaders to carry out and reinforce
legislative measures aiming at reducing the tobacco epidemic.
3. Incite the national and international NGOs to share knowledge and
skills, strengthen their mobilization, cooperation and partnership to
control tobacco consumption.
4. Support the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) initiated
by WHO.
Specific objectives
1. Train educators in the field of tobacco control.
2. Exchange and share data and experiences between partners fighting
against tobacco.
3. Set up and reinforce alliances and networks amongst tobacco control
partners.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Delegates from national and international NGOs, from Africa and
elsewhere, involved in the fight against tobacco:
- Economists / Planers
-Decision makers
- Media
- Scientists
- Managers
- Artists
- Opinion leaders: religious, trade union, politicians
- Educators: teachers, stimulators, ?
- Health professionals
- Medicine students
- Experts in the communication field.
--
Jephat Chifamba
mailto:chifamba@medic.uz.ac.zw
Page Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D.