Strong subnational leadership can combat the tobacco epidemic across Asia Pacific
APCAT (Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Tobacco Control and NCDs Prevention), APCAT Parliamentarians, APCAT Media and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) co-hosted a webinar entitled ‘Government accountability in responding to COVID-19, NCDs and tobacco use’ which was attended by 514 participants from 49 countries. The participants represented national and subnational governments, academicians, civil societies, health professionals and other professional organizations, students, and the media.
The Asia Pacific region accounts for 2.3 million of the eight million deaths caused by tobacco worldwide each year, and has the highest smoking rates in the world, with two thirds of all men using tobacco. Tobacco use is also a significant risk factor for Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Globally, 14% of all NCDs deaths among adults 20 and over are attributable to tobacco. Evidence has emerged that those with pre-existing conditions such as NCDs as especially vulnerable to succumbing to COVID-19.
“Review studies done by public health experts convened by WHO on April 29 found that smokers are more likely to develop severe coronavirus disease, compared to non-smokers. The WHO recommends that governments should provide smoking cessation services in the form of Quit lines, counselling, etc. The WHO also recommends ban on waterpipe smoking, increase in taxes on tobacco and alcohol, and collection of scientific data on status of tobacco smoking among COVID-19 positive people.” said Dr Vinayak Prasad of the WHO
Khagraj Adhikari, senior Member of Parliament from Nepal and chair of APCAT Parliamentarians said that given the rising evidence on COVID-19 comorbidities, parliamentarians should, “review and amend existing tobacco control policies, including raising taxes and prices of tobacco products. We must also enact policies to restrict the sale of and/or ban the harmful products such as alcohol and tobacco. Industry’s donation to market these harmful products should be banned. NCDs and TB services should be continued even during the COVID-19 pandemic. We must make governments accountable for health of their people by pushing for best practice health policies.”
Dr Bima Arya, Mayor of Bogor City, Indonesia and Co-chair of APCAT said that they are trying “to ensure adequate social distancing and other measures to break the chain of transmission of COVID-19. The measures are implemented with sanctions. Individually, abstaining from tobacco use and preventing NCDs is an effective method to ensure that one does not suffer from severe outcomes of COVID-19. The city is also ensuring that tobacco control policies do not take a backseat in crisis-situation, rather they are continually enforced by maintaining smoke-free public places, workplaces, and public transport. Bogor City government is also refusing to accept donations of aid (such as sanitizers, masks, gloves) from the tobacco industry.
“Strong subnational leadership will ensure effective measures of tobacco control by identifying local solutions to local problems in the region, “The work being done by the mayors and leaders in many cities is so impressive. I was delighted that so many leaders across the region attended the webinar, to share the valuable work they are doing, and discuss ways that strong subnational leadership can reduce tobacco control” said Dr Tara Singh Bam.
This webinar raised the spotlight on the critical role of local leaders, which becomes even more important during the pandemics. NCDs and COVID-19 pandemics has one common risk factor – tobacco use– which is entirely preventable. Enacting stronger lifesaving health policies, approving the budgets and mobilizing more resources, providing oversight to ensure government accountability in implementation of global and national commitments, ensuring implementation of tobacco control, NCDs prevention and other essential primary healthcare programmes, such as TB control, were among the key recommendations
Other speakers included distinguished leaders, Shameem Haider Patwary Member of Parliament, Bangladesh; Han Kosal, Deputy Governor of Kampong Cham, Cambodia; Jose Martinho Dos Santos Soares, Mayor of Ermera, Timor-Leste. The discussion was moderated by Shobha Shukla from Citizen News and APCAT media.
To download resources from the webinar please visit: https://coursesonline.theunion.org/theunion/2020/covid-19-outbreak/298853