Egypt launches WHO tobacco control Project

CAIRO, Nov 28 (MENA) - The Health Ministry, in cooperation with the United Nations, launched the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) 2030 project.

Egypt has been a Party to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) since 2005.

According to the Health Ministry in a statement on Wednesday, WHO representative in Egypt John Gabor said Egypt is one of 15 countries worldwide with a heavy burden of tobacco-related ill health – according to the World Health Organization’s 2017 standardized estimate of smoking prevalence, 43.6% of men and 22.8% of Egypt’s population overall are daily tobacco smokers.

In 2008, WHO supported the Ministry of Health in taking effective measures to warn people about the dangers of the tobacco use and, for the first time, in 2011, Egypt included health warning images and a toll free quit line number on all cigarette packs.

Tobacco is a major public health concern and a barrier to development around the world. The FCTC 2030 project is strengthening tobacco control in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through promoting and supporting governments to accelerate the implementation of the WHO FCTC.

According to WHO, Egypt is a high-burden tobacco-use country implementing several of the best buy (MPOWER) measures to reduce tobacco use, with one measure at the highest level of achievement.

The WHO is contributing to the implementation of MPOWER measures in Egypt through: raising awareness regionally for important aspects of the tobacco epidemic and the main elements of tobacco control; encouraging an increase in tobacco taxation in line with inflation and implementing smoke-free environments; providing tools to help monitor tobacco use; encouraging the Government of Egypt to sign and implement the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco, and releasing studies highlighting the growing public health and economic costs of tobacco use.