Thursday 28 March 2013


The Anti Tobacco Network in collaboratioon with the Ministry of Health recently held back-to-back: One for the media and NGOs and the other for Health Professionals. Target group for the first workshop was the media (15) (both public and private) and non-governmental (10) organizations who have similar interests as ATN. The second workshop targeted 30 health professionals from private and government hospitals. 


The media, NGO and health professionals’ workshops were planned to engage and bring on board the media, NGOs and health professionals as partners of ATN, MOH and WHO country office in sensitizing Batswana on the harms of tobacco and helping the government to implement the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Objectives
The workshops are in line with a series of other activities funded by the ACS and aim to achieve the following objectives:

1        To familiarize the media, health professionals and NGOs on the provisions of the FCTC, the Control of Smoking Act (CSA) and the tactics used by the tobacco industry to interfere with Government’s efforts to control tobacco (Article 5.3).
2       To increase the level of awareness on tobacco control and its impact on    health, the economy and the environment.
3        To prepare for the upcoming I Don’t Want To Be a Walking Billboard (A campaign countering advertising in indirect ways by the tobacco industry.) 



WHO Country Office - Mr Moagi Gaborone opening the workshop





Dr. Bontle Mbongwe presenting on the Health Effects of Tobacco use. Dr. Mbongwe stressed out the fact that tobacco use is unequivocally linked with underdevelopment and poverty.  Two-thirds of the poor nations for which data were available had male smoking rates above the average 35% prevalence rate for the developed world. (WHO2004 estimates). The poor are most likely to smoke. Tobacco use negatively affects important development objectives such as health, nutrition, employment and gender equality. Money spent on tobacco consumption reduces the amount of money available to spend on food, healthcare, shelter and education.



FCTC Presentation made by Mr. Moagi Gaborone - WHO Botswana
Botswana Substance Abuse (BOSASNet) representative making a comment


Mr Ephraim Rapalai of the Ministry of Health Tobacco control unit making a presentation of the tobacco legislation in Botswana

Botswana Press Agency (BOPA) represenatives and Press 24 Tv representative (Holding Camera)

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