Tobacco Control Fund Advocated

The coalition on the tobacco control bill has advocated the establishment of a tobacco control fund for Ghana. According to the coalition the fund when established would afford government the opportunity to raise money for the purposes of treating ailments that may occur as result of tobacco use directly or indirectly, among others.
They propose that taxes on tobacco products as well as finds and levies on tobacco manufacturing companies be directly lodged into this account so it can serve its intended purpose.
The coalition made this demands last week when its members petitioned the Minister of Health on the implementation of pictorial health warnings on tobacco packs and the establishment of a tobacco control fund for Ghana.
“We urge your office to officially write to parliament for the establishment of the Tobacco Control Fund within the Public Health Bill to implement the tobacco control measures” the petition partly stated.
The tobacco control legislation is at the consideration stages of Ghana’s parliament. The bill forms part of the enlarged Public Health Bill which is currently before the House.
The coalition is a network of civil society organizations advocating for the implementation and enforcement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), and the passage of the tobacco control of the public health bill into law, with the objective of protecting present and future generations from the devastating health, social, economic and environmental consequences of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.
Ghana ratified the FCTC in 2004 and became the 39th party and the first country in West Africa to do so. February 27, 2010 was the deadline for the first 41 countries including Ghana to have implemented Article 13 of the Convention which demands a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Article 8 also demands a comprehensive smoke free legislation.
Ahead of this the Ministry of Health in 2007 issued a directive for the registration of tobacco and tobacco products urging the Food and Drugs Board to effectively and comprehensively implement article 11 of the FCTC which deals with packaging and labeling of tobacco products.
The FDB has not been able to implement the directive on pictorial health warnings for unexplainable reasons and the coalition is not happy.
“The implementation of the picture warnings on tobacco pack is a cost effective way of reducing tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke, and reaching smokers and non-smokers with low level f education and literacy and help to reduce disparities in health knowledge” the coalition stated in their petition which was received by the deputy health minister, Rojo Mettle-Nunu.
This was after the coalition had undertaken a peaceful procession on the streets of Accra aimed at drawing government’s attention the seriousness of the issue.
While calling on the minister to urgently see to it that the FDB implement the said directives on pictorial warnings on tobacco packs, the coalition warned of regional demonstrations to further stretch home their demands if government fails to heed to their call.
Mettle-Nunu assured the coalition of government’s commitment to ensuring that the Public Health Bill is passed into law in the shortest possible time. According to him adequate provisions have been made in the bill to cater for the concerns of the coalition regarding the implementation of the pictorial health warnings assuring further that their concerns would be facilitated to parliament.
The coalition of NGOs in tobacco control (CNTC), Media Alliance in Tobacco Control (MATCO), Community Health Support Team (CHEST) Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health and Vision for Alternative Development (VALD) makes up the membership of the coalition.