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Empowering the Mauritius Police Force on law enforcement for tobacco control is  essential to ensure compliance of the new tobacco law, the Public Health Regulations on Restrictions on Tobacco Products, promulgated in 2022. This initiative was led by the Vie et Santé (VISA) NGO in close partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the University of Mauritius, the WHO country office and the State Law Office. From April to May 2023, nine-five police officers were released from their routine work to participate in a full day training held at the Police Training Centre in Beau Bassin. The trainees had the opportunity to get updated knowledge on the global tobacco epidemic, its socio-economic impact, the provisions of the Mauritius new tobacco laws including new plain packaging legislation, the tobacco industry interference and counteracting strategies as well as new and emerging tobacco technology products and to discuss how to enforce the new law. Mauritius’ achievements in tobacco control began in 2003, when the Ministry of Health and Wellness began work towards implementing tobacco control laws. Soon after, on May, 17, 2004, Mauritius was among the first countries to become Party to the WHO FCTC. Since that time Mauritius has always been a pioneer in tobacco control legislation and policies being among the first countries to impose pictorial and written warning on tobacco packaging in 2008 and being as of 31St May 2023 the first country of Africa to institute tobacco plain packaging.  The new regulations 2023 comprehensively strengthen Mauritius’ tobacco control framework by introducing not only plain tobacco packaging and eight new larger pictorial health but also by introducing a complete smoking ban in all indoor workplaces as well as in many outdoor public spaces. Additionally, a ban is imposed on the manufacture, import, distribution and sale of waterpipes, ENDS and ENNDS (including e-liquids), and heated tobacco products (including tobacco products for their use). The regulations impose the same ban on smokeless tobacco products;  tobacco products with a characterizing flavor; roll-your-own tobacco and accessories; any other product containing nicotine; and any device used for tobacco consumption that may be manufactured or marketed to replace or imitate a tobacco product. The Commissioner of Police, Mr Anil Kumar Dip; the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Mauritius, Dr Anne Marie Ancia; VISA’s Honorary President, Mrs Véronique Le Clézio; as well as other personalities, attended the final hand over certificate and closing ceremony organized on 15 May 2023 at  the Special Mobile Force Diamond Hall in Vacoas.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness partnered with the World Health Organization to cost and validate the Mauritius National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) during a five-day workshop in April 2023. With the support of WHO, the country was able to finalize the action plan to strengthen the national health security system drafted in November 2022. This multi-year action plan for Health Security draws on multisectoral engagement using the One Health approach to strengthen Public health emergencies detection, early preparedness, and swift response. It has been aligned with the Global Health Security strategy and the International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR) which recommends countries to strengthen, monitor and evaluate their IHR capacities for the early prevention, protection, control and response to the spread of diseases. As a signatory of the International Health Regulations (2005), the Republic of Mauritius has already conducted voluntary and external assessments such as, respectively, the State Party Annual reporting (SPAR) and the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) which provide insights into strengths and weaknesses in compliance with IHR capacities. Results of these evaluations, coupled with lessons learned from the national response to the COVID 19 Pandemic have enabled to identify all necessary actions to improve national capacities and define the national action plan for health security. The country initiated preparatory work led by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in November 2022, with the participation of different ministries including Agro-Industry and Food Security, Education, Environment, Finances and Planning. A draft strategic action plan was thus developed and subsequently costed and validated in April 2023. The NAPHS represents an important achievement for Mauritius showing political commitment and multi-sectoral engagement to advance a comprehensive preparedness and response plan to strengthen the health security of the country. It is a milestone that sets the country to invest smartly to further protect its population and to minimize effects of outbreaks and pandemics.