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Tobacco killed 4 million last year
By
Joseph Langa - 04-09-2002 |
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World Health Organization (WHO) regional advisor on substance abuse Charles Maringo has said tobacco is the single largest killer which requires multilateral commitment and action to protect potential victims.
Maringo was speaking at the opening of a five-day fourth framework convention on tobacco control for 46 African countries in Lilongwe on Monday.
“If we are to have hope to tackle this, we have to respond with powerful means,” said Maringo noting that tobacco caused the death of 4.2 million people worldwide last year and it is estimated that 10 million deaths will occur in a few years to come, 70 percent of them in developing countries.
Maringo said advertising bans, tax and price increases which keep pace with inflation, smoke free public and work places and use of strict warnings with graphic images of the health damage caused by tobacco products are some of the strategies that can be employed to reduce demand for tobacco.
Health and Population Minister Yusuf Mwawa agreed with the WHO official, saying cigarette smoking is responsible for more cancer deaths than any other known agent but the fight against it is hampered by the huge economic gains derived from it.
The minister said despite the knowledge about the health hazards associated with smoking, governments in developing countries like Malawi fail to positively respond to the crisis because of the bulk of revenues derived from the industry.
Said Mwawa: “We cannot escape the reality that foreign exchange earned from the sale of Malawi’s tobacco is what helps keep the health sector afloat”.
But he said Malawi and other developing countries in Africa would have no problems to diversify to other crops if a special fund is established to help them.
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