 Binagwaho, Minister of Health for Rwanda, told the Assembly that her country used tobacco taxes to fund welfare services for its population and had started clinics to detect and fight cancer.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan furthered UN Secretary-General’s statement regarding the immorality of some big businesses by targeting the tobacco industry. She called on the heads of government to stand “rock hard” against the “despicable” efforts of the tobacco industry and their highly aggressive tactics by increasing tobacco taxes and prices to reduce demand, protect health and provide governments considerable revenue. She added that, while some might argue that income from the sale of tobacco and unhealthy foods are indispensable during an economic downturn, this short-sighted view is belied by the significant long-term costs.
Actions speak louder than words
Rudyard Spencer, Health Minister for Jamaica, expressed some disappointment with the declaration, stating that it provided a good platform for ongoing discussion on NCDs, but that it did not advocate more decisive action that would commit the international community to increased and sustained resources to achieve its goal.
Ban Ki-moon challenged member states to step up their own accountability for carrying out the declaration, suggesting, “If this document remains just a set of words, we will have failed in our obligation toward future generations. But if we give this Political Declaration meaning through multiple, concerted and tough actions, we will honour our responsibility to safeguard our future.”
Note 1: Communicable diseases are also known as infectious diseases, clinically evident illnesses, with characteristic medical signs and/or symptoms of disease, resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism, such as HIV/AIDS.
The Framework Convention
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the first treaty negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organization. The WHO FCTC is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health. It represents a paradigm shift in developing a regulatory strategy to address addictive substances. In contrast to previous drug control treaties, the WHO FCTC asserts the importance of demand reduction strategies, as well as supply issues.
The world treaty was developed in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic. The spread of the tobacco epidemic is facilitated through a variety of complex factors with cross-border effects, including trade liberalization and foreign investment. Other factors such as global marketing, transnational tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship and the international movement of contraband and counterfeit cigarettes, have also contributed to the explosive increase in tobacco use. The core demand reduction provisions in the WHO FCTC are contained in articles 6-14: non-price, price and tax measures to reduce tobacco use, namely: protection from exposure to tobacco smoke; regulation of the contents of tobacco products; regulation of tobacco product disclosures; packaging and labelling of tobacco products; education, communication, training; public awareness; banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and demand reduction measures concerning tobacco dependence and cessation.