Uganda commemorated World No Tobacco Day with grand activities between 28 and 31 May, 2012, to raise public awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco and also advocate for the adoption of the Tobacco Control Policy and establishing tobacco control legislation.

Organized under the theme Tobacco Industry Interference, the week‐long activities started with a media briefing at the Uganda media Center jointly addressed by the WHO country Representative, Dr Joaquim Saweka, and the Minister of State for Health, Dr Richard Nduhura. In addition to explaining the relevance of the theme, journalist were mobilized to adequately cover the week’s activities and to expose the subversive tactics of the Tobacco Industry. “You are our close allies and you must be with us in this struggle if we are to succeed,” noted Dr Joaquim Saweka. “The world losses over 6,000,000 lives annually due to tobacco and this must stop”, he added.

Dr Nduhura highlighted the overt and subtle ways used by the Tobacco Industry to interfere with public policy and legislation on tobacco control. “ These range from exploiting loopholes in the law, demanding that the industry must negotiate with Government, supporting promotion of voluntary regulation instead of legislation, challenging and stretching government timetables for implementing laws, attempting to bribe legislators, gaining favours by financing government and community health or other social projects and defending trade benefits at the expense of health” he pointed out.

More than 60 Members of Parliament organized under the Non Communicable Diseases Forum attended a one day workshop on NCDs, but which focused mainly on tobacco control. The most critical issues at this function were pointed out by Dr Possy Mugyenyi, Manager for the Center for Tobacco Control in Africa (CTCA), who noted that as MPs go about legislating on tobacco control, the industry will target them through influence, peddling, trickery, manipulation, intimidation and even outright bribery. “Please be firm in your activities knowing very well that you are saving lives of many innocent people,” he said.

The following day, the Ministry of Health, with support from WHO, brought together members of the Uganda Hotel Owner’s Association to sensitize them on “Second Hand Tobacco Smoke” and on the law in Uganda that bans smoking in public places. In the discussions that followed, it was revealed that many hotel owners were not only unaware of the effects of second hand tobacco smoke but were also ignorant that they were required to implement the law.. “You now know the truth about tobacco and the law and it is your responsibility to strictly implement it , and also inform other member who are not present here to do the same,” WHO’s Dr. Robert Machang’u said in conclusion.

Side by side, the Uganda Health Communication Alliance (UHCA), with support from CTCA, conducted a workshop for journalists and editors on tobacco control. Many journalists clearly lacked information on tobacco and it was indeed an opportune time to impart them with the basic information on tobacco control. Mr Richard Baguma from UHCA to emphatically invited the journalists to join the fight against the Tobacco Industry and its products.

A series of programmes on tobacco control and the Tobacco Industry interference were broadcast on radio and television stations. The carrion message in all these programmes was that tobacco is addictive, harms health and kills. It is, therefore, a fundamental human and constitutional right for all people to know the truth about tobacco and the need reduce its use and eventually stop it.

The 31st May started with a public awareness walk from the Ministry of Health Headquarters through the streets of Kampala to the Parliament of Uganda led by Dr Richard Nduhura, Dr Joaquim Saweka and the Director General of Health Services, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng. It was a well attended walk, which included the distribution of diverse advocacy materials.

There were several speeches at Parliament all focused on Article 5.3 of the Frame Work Convention on Tobacco Control. Notable among the speakers was Dr Saweka who appealed to the Ugandan Government, policy makers especially members of parliament to quickly adopt the Tobacco Control Policy and pass the National Tobacco Control law in order to urgently save lives. He also urged government to compel the Tobacco Industry to display large pictorial warnings on tobacco products on the harm caused by tobacco use.

To conclude his speech, Dr Saweka presented, on behalf of the Director General of the WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan, a certificate and a medal, to Dr. Deogratius Sekimpi in recognition of his outstanding contribution to tobacco control. It was indeed a worthy while recognition to a man who has devoted part of his entire working life to tobacco control especially in the communities.

The Speaker of Parliament Right Honorable Rebecca Kadaga, who was represented by Dr Nduhura said that she was aware that the tobacco control bill will be tabled soon in parliament. “Parliament will ensure that provisions for FCTC Article 5.3 are clearly spelt out in that bill to ensure compliance,” she pointed out.

Honorable Kadaga cautioned all civil servants working in main stream government sectors and government agencies to always be accountable for their actions, while working on tobacco control.

Finally she called upon all Ugandans to embrace tobacco control for “our own good and for the good of our children and future generations”. To the tobacco growers she said: “Tobacco is not a crop of the future, I therefore call upon you to diversify to alternative crops whose market in the region is vibrant”.

For more information please contact:

Benjamin Sensasi, Health Promotion Adviser, WHO Country Office
Tel: 256-41-334400
Email: sensasib [at] ug.afro.who.int